


Blue Starry Skies

by fluffynarwhal



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - How to Get Away with Murder Fusion, Bottom Harry, Harry is on death row actually, Inmate Harry, Lawyer Louis, Liam is Frank, Louis is Annalise, M/M, Niall is Oliver, Top Louis, Zayn is Bonnie, harry is being framed for a murder he didn't commit, i did htgawm bc i feel like i could quote the show anyway, i think that's it whoopsie, okay so like, prepare for tears, so here we go, texas legislature, that has to be stated now, there are a lot of tears, they really aren't the characters that's just inspired by the og ones
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2019-11-04
Packaged: 2021-01-23 02:41:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21312835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fluffynarwhal/pseuds/fluffynarwhal
Summary: Just a fusion of Larry with How to Get Away With Murder. With Louis as our bad ass lawyer, Liam as our muscles, Zayn as the man behind the madness, and Niall as our beloved computer hacker.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 6
Kudos: 82
Collections: HL TV SHOW FIC FEST 2019





	Blue Starry Skies

**Author's Note:**

> HIIIII OMG  
there's so many people to thank and things to say. Firstly, I want to say a huge thank you to both of my Megans, and my lovely B. You three have helped more than you know. Thank you for pushing me and supporting me through this process, and for also staying up with me all night to get this pumped out. I can't begin to describe the love I have for you beautiful darling doves. 
> 
> Also, a massive thank you to Sonja for putting on this fic fest and letting me apart of it. I had such a wonderful (grueling) time participating and I can't wait to do more fests like this. 
> 
> Lastly, there are some songs throughout the fic, but the one that resonated with me the most is Lion by Saint Mesa. I recommend listening to it just to get a feel for the fic. 
> 
> Again, thank you so fucking much for letting me be apart of this. I love each and every one of you. 
> 
> Happy reading!

Everything was fuzzy. His skin, his fingers, the tips of his ears all felt fuzzy and unrecognizable to Louis. His lungs ached as a sudden intake of breath shuddered through him. All around him noises were muffled; shouting, screaming, and gunfire could be echoing around him. It was as if he’d been wearing headphones. Even his hands, as they sifted through the dirt on the ground, felt sticky and not like his own. His legs ached and the jeans that covered his skin seemed thick and hot. As he came back to himself, his body began to feel worse and worse.

Louis blinked quickly a few times and the world around him blurred and focused. He turned his head to a pair of hands framing his face. There were words being spoken, Louis knew, but he still could not distinguish them. He blinked again and exhaled, watching the breath swirl in front of his face in a puff even in heat of late June.

“…_To me_,” Louis heard faintly. He blinked again, rapidly, his vision now clearing more like smoke wafting up to the ceiling. Louis sat up and leaned over to cough, feeling a thick, frothy substance fall from his lips. “…_Back to me_,” the voice yelled at him as hands helped him move.

He wiped the back of his hand across his mouth and noticed the blood even in the darkness that surrounded him. Louis’ eyes widened at the color against his pale skin before his gaze shifted up to the human still holding on to him. The boy’s lips began moving. Louis shook his head and focused on hearing the boy speak, despite the trembling that slipped through his body like a snake on a vine.

“We have to leave before they see us, Louis,” the boy said quickly. Louis tried to turn his head, but the hands kept him still. “We have to go,” he said again, refusing to ask permission before yanking Louis to a standing position.

A sharp, stabbing pain ached in Louis’ head and lower back as he was pulled to his feet. “Fuck!” he shouted into the void, hands flying out in front of him to catch himself. The boy wrapped his arms around Louis’ waist and steadied him. Louis rested his forehead against the boy’s chest and groaned in pain.

“I know it hurts, but we have to move, Lou,” the boy mumbled against Louis’ ear. “Once we get to a car, I’ll take you to the hospital, I swear.”

“What is happening?” Louis wondered, his bottom lip trembling against the boy’s soaked tee shirt. “My head, why does my head hurt so bad?”

“Someone pistol-whipped you, Lou,” the boy said. Louis coughed again and felt the pain radiate down to his toes. He hissed and tightened his fingers around the boy’s arms. “Come on, let’s just get home and we can figure out what’s happening.”

Louis nodded stiffly and gasped a breath as the two of them began walking. They stepped through the trees and dirt that clung to their clothes. The boy held Louis tightly as they tried to make their way across the forest floor. Every step caused Louis to cry out in pain, his back and head screaming at him.

“How long was I out?” Louis asked, gritting his teeth on a particularly rough step. He glanced up at the boy and saw him wince.

“Ten minutes tops,” he told Louis. “As soon as William saw, he made sure I could get to you.”

“Where is he?” Louis questioned. He pulled on the boy’s shirt to make him stop, Louis feeling his lungs burn with fire. “And James, where is James?”

The boy shook his head and took Louis’ face between his hands. “Breathe, Lou, you’ve got to be quiet out here, alright?” Louis nodded and tried to slow his breathing. “William made sure our parents were still gone, and James told me he’d come get us after he searched the house.”

Louis exhaled and coughed, leaning over with the boy’s help as he proceeded to expel the remaining contents of his stomach. He cringed and leaned back up, wiping more blood away from his mouth. The boy stripped off his shirt and brought it to Louis’ face, wiping away the bile and dried blood that caked on his skin.

“Thank you,” Louis croaked. He looked around himself, searching for any visibly light that might filter through the trees. “We’re close to Jester’s Park right?”

The boy nodded. “One more block and we’ll be in Community. If we go west, we just have to go through the cemetery to get home.”

Louis looked in the direction and noticed the familiar chain link fence surrounding the cement head stones. Surprisingly enough, it wasn’t the ‘haunted’ factor that the cemetery held. No, instead it was the height of the fence, and the pain in Louis’ body. “I don’t want to climb over the fence,” he muttered pathetically. Louis whined at the mere thought of climbing over it, but the sound was drowned out by the quiet sounds of the city that ebbed in his ears.

Everything around him seemed familiar in Louis’ mind. Up until that point, he hadn’t gotten a chance to really take in his surroundings. After the boy hauled him to his feet and forced him to walk, Louis let the scenery roam by him in flashes of green trees, cemented sidewalks, and darkness. He couldn’t remember how long they’d been walking, nor could he remember where they were in the first place. His small community of Corsicana seemed even smaller as the seconds passed, Louis scrubbing his hands over his face and sighing heavily. The boy sighed and took Louis’ hand.

“I can help you get over but if we go under the bridge, we can miss it completely. We might have to muddle through some water, but it wouldn’t be the first time,” he replied. “James is going to call me when they get the house cleared.” The boy patted his pocket and pulled out his phone, wiping off the dirt from the screen.

Louis nodded and reached for the boy’s hand. He gave him a tight smile and exhaled sharply. “I love you,” Louis mumbled quietly. The boy cupped Louis’ face between his fingers and kissed him soundly, not caring about the blood, or bile for that matter, that surrounded Louis’ lips.

“I love you too, Lou,” he breathed. Louis pulled away and glanced towards the bridge, willing himself to begin walking.

The boy held on to Louis tightly, helping him over tree roots. Louis felt his body trying to revolt against him, each step he took pushing him closer to tears. Eventually, he had to stop and catch his breath, wiping his forehead of sweat that had gathered. When they started again, Louis watched as they walked past the playgrounds, trying to keep as quiet as they possibly could.

“We’re almost there,” the boy whispered. “I should have never gotten involved with William’s shit. I’m so sorry I dragged you into this.”

Louis shook his head and kissed the tops of his knuckles. “You didn’t drag – _fuck_ – you didn’t drag me into this. I told you I was here for the long run and I intend to keep that promise,” he said, hissing at a sudden sharp pain.

“I’m nineteen years old, Lou. You’re twenty-two. This isn’t what we’re supposed to be doing right now. We shouldn’t have to live like this.”

“I don’t give a fuck how old we are. I’m here, you’re here, and we’re alright. Let’s get the fuck out of here and put those fuckers in jail,” Louis snapped. “I fucking love you, I have loved you, and I’m not letting you give up this easily, alright?”

The boy clamped his mouth shut and nodded, squeezing Louis’ hand.

Looking back, Louis would have learned to check behind him, for he and the boy failed to notice the three men trailing them.

A sharp, cracking noise echoed through the air and before Louis could turn around, he felt the same bone crunching sound on the back of his head, the boy beside him falling at the same rate.

Louis felt as though the moment was iced, stilled on a mantra of nothingness. The trees swayed gently in the breeze that wrapped around them, water rushed somewhere in his subconscious, and the ground beneath him lay beaten; brick-rough. Louis was stilled. 

_Harry_, Louis thought as he drifted into unconsciousness, eyelids blinking in a way to try and remember the boy he fell in love with. The man above him moved in to his line of sight with a wicked grin just as his vision faded to black. 

Louis was stilled, and the moment burn, burn, burned on.

** **

** **

** **

** _Eight Years Later_ **

** Here Comes the Sun – The Beatles **

It was a sunny morning, light shining through the French window pane in the small alcove, birds chirping brightly, and the smell of vanilla wafting through the apartment. Bedsheets pooled around Louis’ waist, dipping over the curves of his back and settling on his skin like a warm summer evening. His eyes fluttered open slowly as they adjusted to the light. Out of the corner of his eye, Louis noticed movement of the black, furry kind, followed by a heartbreaking meow.

Louis opened his eyes and rubbed the left one, yawning widely and swinging his legs over the side of his bed. A ball of black fur jumped up onto the bed and pawed at his leg. “I know, Duck, I know,” he cooed, scooping the cat into his arms and carrying her down to the kitchen.

It was quiet. Much too quiet for Louis’ liking in his own home, but for the moment, he pushed the thought out of his mind and carried on with making his cat breakfast. Once Duck had her meal, he readied himself a pot of coffee, grabbing some fruit out of the fridge. With everything done, Louis took his place at the kitchen table, setting his breakfast down in front of the file folders he was still searching through, and placing a shiny silver 9 mm handgun off to the side, ready to grab if needed.

While Duck ate her breakfast, Louis worked through his, drinking almost the entire steaming pot, and all the fruit he had for himself. The one file he was actively working on sat open with picture scattered around it, taunting Louis. After looking down at his watch, he sighed heavily and pulled out a burner phone just as a call came through.

“Unless you have information for me regarding the case, I don’t want to listen to your chipper voice this morning, Niall,” Louis snapped, pinching the bridge of his nose and sitting back in his chair.

“Rude of you to assume I’m anything like that hyper bastard,” the voice answered. Louis smirked and snuffled a laugh.

“Taking over Niall’s job, Liam?” he questioned. “I need my – “

Liam cleared his throat. “We all know what you need, boss,” he replied. “Was calling to let you know Zayn will be meeting you on campus this morning. I’ve gotten the cases you needed and those are under your desk.”

“I may have to marry you, dear Liam. Just leave Zayn and let’s elope,” Louis smiled, closing the files and gulping down the very last bit of his coffee. “I’m heading to the school in about thirty minutes. Have Niall meet me in my classroom in two hours. I want the new children to meet him.”

Liam hummed an assurance. “Where do you need me today?” he asked. Louis dropped off the coffee pot and cup, along with the cleared fruit plate into the sink.

“I think I’m going to need you to go to the prison today and talk with some of the guards. Get some more information on that case we talked about last night,” Louis said. He began walking back to his room, scratching Duck on the top of her head. “Keep that detail between you and I, please.”

“I’ll meet you all back at the house,” Liam said.

Louis ended the call and threw it on his bed, reaching over to his bedside table to retrieve his personal phone. After checking the time, he hurried to the bathroom to shower and ready himself for the first day of a new semester.

When he arrived on campus sometime later, Louis climbed out of his truck, slinging his bag over his shoulder and lifting his sunglasses to the top of his head. He threw them to the passenger seat and grabbed his travel coffee cup before he shut the door, locking the vehicle behind him. Zayn zoomed up beside Louis’ truck on his black Harley Davidson. Louis sighed heavily and rolled his eyes at his friend, walking in front of the bike.

“One of these days, you’re going to get that thing towed,” Louis snipped as he watched Zayn slip the helmet off and take off his gloves.

“One of these days, you’re going to ride with me,” Zayn replied, grabbing his bag that was strapped to the back of the bike. He held his helmet under one arm and his backpack in the other.

“Over my dead body,” Louis snapped. “Have you spoken to Niall this morning? I told Liam to get him here by ten,” he asked as he began walking towards his building.

Zayn followed step behind the young professor, his boots clicking against the concrete. “Niall called me this morning and let me know him and Liam got the case files to your classroom.”

Louis nodded. “And the student issue we discussed?”

Zayn scoffed and snuffled a laugh. “Yes, boss, everything is taken care of for today. I’ve made sure staff knows you’re starting a new class, and everyone agreed to leave you alone for the next few months.”

Louis took a sip of his coffee as they walked, mumbling a quiet, “Thank god,” to Zayn. As the two walked through the hallways, students stopped to say a quick hello while faculty members kept their distance. One faculty member that taught biology noticed Louis and Zayn walking, made eye contact with Louis and promptly turned on his heels and walked away. Zayn snuffled a laugh and elbowed his friend.

“See,” he whispered. “I told you. The entire faculty promised to stay away.”

Louis snorted. “Sometimes I forget how easy you make my job.”

Pushing open the door to the classroom with a heavy hand, Lou took a deep breath tried to calm his racing heart. Students were still milling about, trying to find their seats from the chart at the front. They snapped their heads in his direction and hurried to find their seats. Zayn followed in close behind him, groaning under his breath. “Here we go,” the man whispered to Louis.

“Good morning,” Louis said loudly, reaching the students in the very back of the class. Zayn sat his brief case down on the desk at the very front of the room and began pulling files out. Louis sat his things down and walked to the front of the desk, leaning his backside up against it and crossing his arms. “I don’t really know how you made it up to this point with all of your limbs intact, but rest assured, that’s going to change.”

A collective silence followed as Louis stared out into the sea of law students fighting for their degree. Zayn cleared his throat to get Louis’ attention, like he did every year, and finished setting up the computer and presentation.

“I am Professor Louis Tomlinson, and this is Criminal Law 100, or as I like to call it, How to Get Away with Murder,” Louis grinned. A student in the back of the class jumped up and ran out of the room. Louis chuckled, clicking his tongue. “If anyone would like to leave, I suggest you do it now,” he added, two more students shuffling out. He made another look around the room and found there were no other bodies moving.

“Be warned,” Zayn spoke, joining Louis in front of the desk. “If you decide to drop this class any further than this very second, I’ll see to it personally that you don’t graduate with your class.”

Six more children ran out the door.

Louis glanced at Zayn with a smile and turned back to his class. “That’s much better, isn’t it? You’ve met Zayn,” he said motioning towards his assistant. “You’ll be seeing a lot more of him in this class, and if you end up getting to intern with me, you’ll be seeing him outside of these walls as well.”

A girl in the front row shot her hand up, begging to ask a question.

Zayn called on her, “Ms. Shaw?” the girl stood tall from her chair and smiled at him.

“You said we’re going to intern for you?” she asked.

Louis nodded and pulled out three boxes of case files that were hidden under his desk. He placed them in a row on top. “For your first exam, you’re going to be given a single case. You are going to fight tooth and nail for these cases and prove to me they can be taken to trial.” Louis took the lid off each box and turned to his bag to grab one more case file in it. He put that file on top of one of the boxes.

“If we are picked, does that mean we can actually take it to a courtroom?” a boy asked from the back. Louis glanced up at Zayn who had a sour look written all over his face.

Louis smiled to himself, his back still facing away from all the students. This was going to be fun.

Turning back around, Louis searched the room for the hidden voice. “Please repeat your question, and stand so I know who I’m talking to,” he said sternly, his voice dropping just slightly. He only used this tone on disruptive students.

And naughty boyfriends.

A tall boy stood in the very back of the room, his shoulders squared off but still slouched, looking rather bored. Louis studied the boy for a moment longer before he asked his question again. He was clothed in jeans and a tee shirt, running shoes laced on his feet. His skin was red and blotchy, but his face was steeled. The blonde hair that Louis could see was sticking up in different directions, noting that the boy probably just rolled out of bed.

“If we get picked, do we get to fight it in a courtroom?” he repeated.

Louis, without missing a beat, said a quick, “No.”

“But I thought you just said – “

“When I was eleven years old, my father was killed for standing up in front of students and teaching them how to put bad men and women in jail. I am a courtroom lawyer for that very reason, as well as being a teacher.” Louis reached for the seating chart and pinpointed the student’s name. “Now, Mr. Thompson, I have been doing this for a very long time, and if you think I’m going to put inexperienced miscreants in front of a judge to argue a death row case, you’re sorely mistaken. I’m going to carry on with teaching my class, and you’re going to sit back down and if I hear one more peep out of anyone, the only death row case I’m going to be fighting is my own. Have I made myself clear?”

“A death row case?”

Louis sighed. “Yes, a death row case.”

“But why would you go after a death row case? They’re the worst criminals.”

Louis inhaled sharply and tossed the chart onto the desk. He moved the boxes and jumped up onto the wooden table, crossing his ankles and putting his upper body weight on his palms.

“Mr. Thompson, in your life, how many cases have you fought and won?” Louis asked.

The boy stuttered before answering, “None.”

“Zayn, when did I win my first case?”

“You were twenty-four,” the man answered.

Louis nodded and swung his feet a bit. “How many of the cases have I fought have been either wrongfully accused or reformed human beings?” he asked Zayn.

“Eight out of ten cases, boss.”

Louis looked back up to the student, noticing the slight tremble in the boy’s hands. “So, you mean to tell me, for every ten cases I do, eight of them are not criminals?” Zayn hummed his agreement. “Mr. Thompson, I started doing this when I was very young. I’m good at what I do because I don’t put up with bullshit ideology that surrounds the criminal law system. Now, I won’t sit here and tell you I’ve won every case I’ve taken, because that just isn’t true. I have lost cases, and they weren’t easy. But you get back up and you fight for what you believe in.”

Zayn stood and walked in front of the room. “Why are you here, Thompson?” he asked.

“Because I want to help people,” the boy replied, his tone bored. Zayn shook his head.

“Try again. I’m not going to give you another chance. Why are you here?” he pressed. Louis smirked just slightly.

Thompson took a deep breath and exhaled shakily. “My mom was put up when I was four, and I want to get her out.”

Well Louis wasn’t anticipating that answer.

Louis stood from the desk and joined Zayn, pulling the man’s arm back. He shook his head at Zayn when he tried to open his mouth to speak.

“What’s your name, kid?” Louis wondered.

“Kyler, Mr. Tomlinson.”

“Kyler, if you were going to argue your mother’s case, how would you do it?” Louis questioned. Kyler inhaled and began speaking.

~

Thirty minutes later, Louis watched as Kyler packed up his bags and exited the room, his hands balled into fists and fuming. Louis returned to the desk and began passing the boxes around.

“If anyone else thinks you can earn sympathy, you can leave too,” he said loudly. “You get no sympathy in this class. Whatever sick, twisted thing you did to deserve this class as Karma, may the gods help you.”

Zayn picked up a case file from one of the boxes and opened it. “You’re going to group up into fours,” he roared over the fumbling students. “Each group will find a case they can argue, and if you can prove to Mr. Tomlinson and me that you can fight it, you’ll be chosen to intern for him and help with the same case. Questions?”

Silence echoed in the hall as students made their way into groups and began picking through the boxes. Louis walked over to the laptop set up and pulled up the death row course presentation.

“Can anyone tell me why I want to cover death row first in this course?” Louis asked the room. A student raised their hand, so Louis pointed to her. “Tell me your name and why you think I’m doing this.”

“Aletha Bennet,” she stated proudly. “Death row cases in Texas are some of the most renowned criminals. This is the worst punishment for them as decided by the state. You’re throwing us head first into the world of criminal law.”

“Very good, Mrs. Bennet. Can you tell me why death row cases are so hard to win?” he asked this time.

“The trial process for death row inmates are lengthy and grueling. The judge and jury have sentenced what they thought was best, and that was death. In 2015, a case was taken to the Supreme Court and took eleven months to fight it,” Aletha answered. “You even took on a death row case in 2016 and lost.”

Louis nodded and slipped through slides, explaining them as he went. “I have lost three out of the five death row cases I took on. Each death row case is different in the charges, but one thing will always stay consistent. Someone tell me about the appeal process.”

Through the class, Louis would ask questions and have students answer for him, praising them when they answered correctly, and scaring them when they answered wrong. When the class was nearing its end, he was able to seat twenty-five students near the front, excusing the rest of them.

“Now that we’re all settled, reform your groups. You’ll notice that half the class is now gone, which means your partners are gone as well. Next class, you’ll begin arguing your case, so make sure you study,” Louis said, a grin working its way onto his face. “And welcome to How to Get Away with Murder.”

~

** Drunk on Halloween – Wallows  **

Louis opened the door to his home and quietly toed off his shoes. He walked through the entry way and dropped his bag on the floor before he walked up quietly behind Niall, who sat on one of the couches with his laptop atop his knees. Liam and Zayn watched from afar, shaking their heads and smiling at Niall’s impending doom. In one swift motion, Louis closed the remaining distance and slapped Niall on the back of the head.

“Jesus Christ!” Niall howled, rubbing the tender spot on his scalp. “Fucking hell, what did I do this time?”

Louis patted the boy’s cheek and climbed over the back of the couch to sit next to him, reaching for the remote and turning on the television. “I thought you were going to come meet the new minions,” he replied, reaching over Niall and stealing a carrot stick from the plate beside him.

Niall groaned and tossed his head back, rubbing a calloused hand over his face. “Shit, I knew I was forgetting something,” he hissed. “I’ll be there tomorrow, boss.”

“I think Zayn scared a good majority of them, so it’s your turn to calm them down,” Louis explained around a mouthful of carrot. “Have them working on death row cases for the next few weeks.”

“Last year you had them working on homicide cases at the beginning of the year,” Niall snorted. “Why not start off with something easy?” He closed his computer and sat it on the coffee table that rested in the middle of the three couches.

Louis shook his head and extended his legs, stretching his pointed toes. “When you finally get your degree, you can teach little shits like mine how grueling our world can be. I throw them head first so they know what they’re getting in to.”

Zayn walked up from behind the couch and ruffled Niall’s hair, taking the empty plate to the kitchen. “Niall won’t ever get his degree to teach,” he said matter-of-factly. “He’s too busy working for you to do anything else with his life.”

“I resent that,” Niall yelped. “Don’t be pissy because you don’t know how to work a damn computer unless it’s to watch porn.”

Liam, who had been standing by quietly, made his way to where Niall was grabbing a beer from the mini fridge Louis kept in times of emergency. With a grunt, Liam hit Niall upside the back of his head.

“What is with everyone hitting me today? God dammit!” he cried, taking his beer to the chair furthest away from the group. He scowled at Liam. “I say one thing about your – whatever the fuck Zayn is – and it deserves a hit?”

“Would you like to take my place Niall?” Zayn questioned from the kitchen. He walked back into the living room a moment later carrying a glass of wine. Niall gagged loudly.

“As if I’d ever want to see Liam naked.”

“Heyyyy,” Liam retorted with a frown.

“My boy is very impressive when he’s naked,” Zayn snipped as he sipped his wine. Louis snuffled a laugh.

Niall cried and put his hands over his ears. “I don’t want to know!”

Zayn giggled and followed Liam to the couch, sitting in his lap and placing a quick kiss to the boy’s lips. “You’re very lovely when you’re naked,” Zayn repeated to Liam, much to Louis’ disgust.

“You’re not bad yourself, babe,” Liam replied as he wrapped his arms around the smaller boy’s body.

Louis faked a gag and shivered. “You two have gotten grosser with age.”

Zayn took another sip and climbed off Liam’s lap. “Speaking of gross old couples, I’m going to see my parents tomorrow for their anniversary. Niall, stand in for me?” he begged.

“I could go?” Liam suggested. “We could both go. Show them who they’ll be working for.”

Louis shrugged. The idea of having both Liam and Niall up at the school with him made Louis’ mind rest just a bit. So, after considering it, he nodded. “Niall, make sure you bring your gear and details on the death row case I won a few years back. Liam, bring your muscles.”

Zayn barked a laugh with the rest of the group.

Louis stood from his place on the couch and ventured into the kitchen to retrieve a bottle of water from the fridge. “Zayn, did you get the final placement of students before they left?” he questioned as he walked back into his living room.

“I got that taken care of before you even finished the lecture,” Zayn replied. “Speaking of which, there’s a group working on a serial killer’s death row case that you may be interested in.”

Louis blanched and shook his head, sitting on the couch after untucking his shirt. “I knew I was going to pass on that one when I requested it.”

“Why request it if you’re going to shoot it down?” Liam quipped. Louis pulled out his phone and smirked at his friend.

“I like to see them squirm,” Louis shrugged. He clicked through his emails, and deleted spam. “Plus, it’s fun to watch them try and fight certain cases.”

Niall snorted. “Didn’t you put into writing that every case if worth the fight?” he sassed. Louis leaned over and punched his arm lightly, smiling brightly and putting his phone down.

“Every case is worth a good fight, yes, young Niall. The cases I’ve requested for my class, however, are a bit over the top for first timers,” Louis said. Liam scoffed from the corner, causing Louis to snap his head in the boy’s direction. “Anything to add?” he snipped.

Liam shook his head and held up his hands in surrender. “A bit over the top is throwing a death row case in with some felony charges, maybe an insanity charge. What you’ve done is put a ninety pound guy in the ring with The Rock, the cases being The Rock.”

Zayn hummed his agreement. “I think it’s good for the students be tossed to the wolves, though,” he muttered. When Liam leveled him with a look, Zayn rolled his eyes. “Come on, babe, Louis isn’t going to let it get too far,” he said evenly. “He knows what he’s doing with this.”

Liam met Louis’ gaze with an intense glare. Louis knew exactly what was going through his mind and could see the cogs turning. Their conversations concerning one of the cases still fresh on his mind. The night before, Liam swore he wouldn’t say a word, and Louis took him for that. But in that moment, he feared the truth getting out. Louis shook his head minutely, barely even moving his body. He hoped the boy in question got the message, even with Zayn sitting in his lap.

Liam sighed and dropped his head.

A heavy weight dropped from his shoulders. For the moment, Louis was in the clear. He knew he’d have to explain his situation to the rest of his team. He knew how important it was to be honest and true to them, but his heart couldn’t bring himself to spill anything just yet. Instead, he let his head calm down as he felt his bones settle for the time being, sinking down into his couch cushions.

~

The next day in class proved to be much better than the day before. The groups had officially been formed and began working on their presentations for the cases. Liam and Niall accompanied Louis to class for the day, which gave Louis a bit of trouble at the very beginning.

That trouble being Liam’s arms and shoulders.

At one point, Louis sent a girl out in to the hallway to compose herself.

After that, it was smooth sailing. Louis was able to go over his lecture on the procedures of death row cases, while Niall and Liam provided a healthy distraction and explanation when needed.

It was near the end of class that Louis ran into his first road bump. Well, it wasn’t a _road bump_ per say. It was…. well it was the first time Louis was forced to talk about the case he was most looking forward to taking on.

“Don’t forget to spend the rest of your week away from this class studying your case files. Come Monday morning, we’re going to begin our presentations, so you need to be ready,” Louis announced to his class at large. He picked up a file and began mindlessly flipping through it. His eyes widened when he remembered something. “Oh! This Friday, I’m hosting a seminar at the opry house with my team, including Mr. Malik, which you met yesterday. I encourage you to come out and enjoy some extra credit.”

Liam coughed beside Louis and raised his eyebrows. Louis nodded and held his hand out for Liam to take the floor. “As you guys know, I’m Liam Payne. One thing I want to stress to you guys about the seminar, and your cases, is that sometimes little details can make or break the case. If you come to the seminar, you’ll get to hear our team’s experience in that specific area. Not only will you be getting extra credit, but you’ll also get an idea of where to look for your details.”

“Alright, come see me Friday, people. Now, get out of my classroom before I fail you,” Louis shouted with a smile.

Before Louis could start putting his things together and packing them away, a young girl approached him with a nervous glint in her eye. He sat the file down on his desk and turned his attention to her completely.

“Mrs. Bennet, what can I do for you?” he asked slowly, looking down for just a moment to notice her hands shaking where she held her laptop and book close to her chest.

“Mr. Tomlinson, my group and I just have a quick question about our death row case,” she stated quietly.

Louis nodded and leaned against the wood of his desk. “Then why aren’t they here with you, Aletha?”

The girl stuttered and turned to the back of the classroom where four other students stood, one boy, Bryce Adams, motioning for her to keep talking. She turned back to Louis and took a deep breath.

“The case that we’ve chosen for the presentation,” she began, reaching to her bag for a folder, “says that the client has already filed three appeals in the court. The last one didn’t even make it past state legislation.”

Louis looked over to Liam and Niall, beckoning them over. “Get to the point, Mrs. Bennet,” he instructed, a soft, but stern tone dripping in his words.

Aletha opened the folder to reveal the appeals. “The client has filed three appeals. In the state of Texas, I thought there was a maximum appeal limit for the inmate.”

Louis took the file, finding the familiar details and people involved. He flipped around for a bit, looking back at the old pictures, crime scene photos, and inmate testimonies. Thankfully, Liam took over from there after he glanced down at the case file. Louis mentally patted himself on the back for making his team study the cases that were going to be involved if a situation like that arose.

“Did you read through the case?” Liam asked gently, bringing her over to one of the desks.

Aletha nodded. “I was up all night trying to find things that the others didn’t notice,” she said lowly. “The internet didn’t even give me any more information than the file did.”

Louis cleared his throat as he read. “You need your sleep, Aletha,” he said smirking at Niall when the boy scoffed.

Liam rolled his eyes and turned back to the girl. “When I say small details, what does that make you think about in relation to the case?”

Aletha stammered and turned pages in her notebook. “I’ll start with the fact that he’s only twenty-seven, and one of the youngest death row inmates in the state.”

“Good, keep going. How many siblings did he have? What was his first statement to the police like compared to the most recent?” Liam asked now.

Louis continued to flip through the file, stopping on a page of the inmate’s picture. His pace quickened, and he felt his stomach erupt in a feeling he hadn’t felt in years. Louis felt the ghost of the boy’s lips against his own, soft and pillow-like. His thumb traced over the picture once, trying to remember what it felt like to rub his fingertips across –

“His first statement was in the hospital,” Aletha said, breaking Louis out of his trance. “He said he was drugged, and toxicology reports said that there were traces of an unknown substance in his bloodstream, but those records aren’t in the case file.”

Liam nodded along with the girl as she spoke. “Why wouldn’t they include those records in the case file?”

Aletha shrugged. “The boy was only nineteen when he was convicted. The crime scene photos are enough explanation that this boy didn’t do what he was convicted of.”

Louis pretended to read another page as he listened intently to what Liam and Aletha were saying, Niall standing near him.

Liam sat back in the desk he occupied. “Tell me why he didn’t do this? How can we make a judge and a panel of jurors see that he didn’t do what he was convicted of?”

Aletha sighed and turned to a section of her notes. “I read in the case file that there were statements made from parents and family members that were close to the client. Each statement was different but did the same job to get the point across.”

“And what point is that?” Liam questioned.

“Our client was the furthest thing from a murderer as it gets,” she said hoarsely. “He was in college, still figuring out who he was. His mother said he spent his free time reading and spending time at either the woman’s center he volunteered for, or the local bakery. Mr. Payne, I know something is missing from this file. Something important.” Aletha stopped and glanced at Liam with a firm look on her face. “Something to do with the boy’s laptop.”

Louis finally looked up from the file and closed it, walking closer to the two. “Niall, explain to Aletha what it is you do for me, please,” he instructed with a considerably softer voice than that he’d used before.

Niall stopped packing away his computer and sat his bag down, joining the other three. “Call me Niall, please,” he said sticking out his hand. Aletha shook it with a curt smile.

“Aletha,” she introduced herself.

Niall walked over to get a stool and sat it right in front of everyone, sitting down. “Have you ever seen National Treasure?” he asked first. Aletha chuckled and nodded. “Great, so you know the guy with the computer in the beginning? Shutting down cameras and hacking into things?” she nodded again. “That’s me. Without the hacking into governmental databases and security cameras.”

Louis patted Niall on the back with a smile. “Niall, here, is my man behind the computer. I suspect I know the question you’re about to ask, and I think it’s a good idea Niall’s here for it.” He gave Aletha a knowing smile.

The girl laughed despite herself and shrugged. “I guess that’s why they call you the best,” she told Louis. Turning to Niall, she pointed to her notes. “In the file, there was a short little thing about his computer. Police statements say they collected it to find incriminating evidence against him, such as emails and bank statements that lead to his further charges. My question, though, is… Well, the client swears up and down that he hadn’t been using his computer because he was finished with his classes and he’d never been in contact with those people.”

“So,” Louis prompted with a grin.

“Niall, could someone plant the evidence on his computer?” She asked. “The computer has been sealed away for years now and anyone who’s tried to get it can’t find anything.”

Louis looked to Niall and saw the boy smiling. He glanced up at Louis before reaching out to Aletha’s notebook.

“Mind if I write something down?” he asked. Aletha pulled a pen from her bag quickly and handed it all over.

“Go for it.”

Niall turned to a clean page and began writing. Louis glanced over his shoulder to watch. “While I could tell you the answer now, I’m going to make you work for it. If this were a courtroom, no one would give you direct answers.”

“I’m ready,” she said firmly.

Niall smiled. “Any witnesses to the actual crime?”

Aletha shook her head. “The murders happened in the middle of the night and the parents were gone.”

“Who were the victims?” he asked.

Without thinking, Aletha named them off. “William and James, client’s brothers.”

“Any previous history involving the law? Minor felonies?”

Aletha closed her eyes and thought for a moment. “Nope,” she said after a few seconds. “Poster child for good grades, lovely family, and happy life.”

“When did classes end?” Niall questioned. Aletha stammered for a second. “Think really hard about this. If the client told the police he hadn’t used his computer in weeks, but there was evidence proving him wrong, when would have been the last time he used his computer?”

“May. Normal college classes in Texas end the spring semester in May,” she finally answered.

“Good. Now, we all know when the murders took place, but what did the case file say about bank statements?” he wondered.

The girl furrowed her eyebrows. “I don’t follow.”

Niall kept writing in the notebook, Louis watching carefully as he did so, each letter being written slowly. 

“Let’s say the kid did commit the murders. He would have to buy the murder weapon as it showed in his bank, transfer the stolen money into his account, crash and burn the car in the shed, and still make it to his bed to miraculously take something, only to be woken up by police because someone called about the fire. How does one complete that all in one night?”

“If he did commit the murders, this would have had to be planned.”

“Which is what the jury ruled when he was first convicted. But in the case file, the bank statement dates are not over an extended period. In fact, it was done in one night. Buying the murder weapon and arsenic, transferring the money were all done within a twelve hour period.”

Louis chuckled. “Sure do know a lot about this case, Niall,” he snipped, pinching at his side.

“First time I heard it on the news, I kept up with the story,” Niall explained. “Always wanted to get my hands on the files though. Might be one nasty turn around,” he laughed.

“So, you can do it?” Aletha said with hope in her voice, smiling widely.

Niall threw up his hands and laughed loudly. “You caught me,” he nodded, handing the notebook back to the student. “If I could get my hands on that stupid computer, I could see whether or not it was hacked. Apparently, investigators called in the second best tech guys they could find and they couldn’t uncover shit – ow!”

“Language,” Louis chided, his hand still posed behind Niall’s head in case he needed to hit him again. He turned to Aletha and smiled. “To answer your question, yes, he can do it. Say you and your group, that are no longer waiting for you,” he pointed to the door, “are chosen to help me represent the client, we have our Niall here to do what he does best.”

Aletha smiled and looked down at her notebook, eyes widening when she noticed what Niall had written. She glanced back up at him and nodded, doing the same to Louis. Afterward, she collected her things and stood, walking out of the classroom.

Louis turned and packed up his things, slinging on his suit jacket and placing his bag on his shoulder. When he was finished, Niall was ready to go but Liam still sat in the desk, waiting for the two to go. He stood slowly, adjusting his shirt.

“What did you write in her notebook?” Liam wondered as he followed the two out to their respective vehicles.

Niall laughed and pushed his glasses further up his nose. “Just gave her a few pointers,” he replied with a smirk.

Louis glanced back at Liam and took pity on him, rolling his eyes. “Told her what to look for to make sure they could prove the kid innocent_.” Look for the computer, bank accounts, and family receipts…_

Liam hummed and fished his keys from his pockets. “What’s next boss?”

Louis tossed his bag in the backseat of his truck and opened the driver’s door. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Now, we get ready for the seminar,” he replied, climbing in his truck and closing the door. As the engine roared, he slipped on his belt and pulled out of the parking lot, smiling to himself as the two boys pulled out behind him, following wherever he’d lead them.

~

“Thank you all for coming out tonight,” Louis told the audience from his pace behind a podium. He glanced down at his notes and chuckled. “Nothing like spending a Friday night listening to us old people preach to you.”

A collective laugh sounded through the audience members, ages ranging from college law students, to DA office members. Louis glanced over at his team where they sat on stools and gave them a curt nod.

Turning back to the auditorium, Louis began his speech.

“I’m glad I recognize some of my students here, along with a few DA council members. I wanted to begin tonight by thanking the university board for allowing me and my team a chance to talk to you,” he said, motioning toward the two board members that promised to attend. “Now, in my class, we are covering death row cases.” A whistle blew from one of the DA office members. Louis put his hands up and smiled. “I know, I know. Crazy to just toss some fresh students into some of the most difficult cases to crack during the first week, right? The reason I want to do this is because that’s exactly what I was forced to do when I was twelve years old.”

As Louis spoke about his childhood, he ignored the feeling of bile steadily rising, and swallowed around the lump in his throat.

*

Six days after Louis’ twelfth birthday, he had just returned home after a trip to his grandparent’s beach home. It was a normal day, a somber day filled with uncomfortable car rides due to the sunburn that tattooed the boy’s shoulders and chest. Louis winced as he climbed out of the car, pulling his shirt collar away from his body.

“My body hurts,” he pouted, walking to the boot of the truck to retrieve his bags. His mother climbed out of her seat to join him in helping.

“I know, babe. As soon as we get the bags in, I’ll spray some of the aloe Vera on your burns,” she replied, leaning over to kiss the top of his head. “Why don’t you go ahead and get inside and changed. I’ll bring some water and the spray in a moment.”

Louis smiled and sighed gratefully, picking up his bag and carrying it inside. As he walked through the hall to his room, he stopped and turned the AC down a notch. Once he reached his bedroom, Louis stripped off his tee and dropped it on the floor, rushing over to his bed and flopping down on the top of his comforter.

A while later, Anna, his mother, came bearing an ice cold bottle of water and a spray can. Louis let her dote on him, spraying the burns and rubbing in the aloe. When she was finished, she made Louis drink the entire bottle of water before she left him alone.

“Mom,” he whimpered before she could leave. Anna stopped and sat on the edge of his mattress.

“What’s wrong, Lou?” she questioned, worry dripping through her voice. 

Louis turned on his side to face her and frowned. “Is dad going to make it back before I go back to school?”

Anna gave him a forced smile. “Your father is doing everything he can to make it back before you start. He knows just as much as I do what a strain it’s been on you these past few months,” she explained. “He and I want the best for you, and starting at a new school is never easy, especially in the middle of the year.”

“I just wanted to see him once more before the first day,” Louis said.

“When we talked to him on your birthday, he promised me he’d be here to see you,” Anna sighed. “As far as I know, the department is letting him come home for a week or two, until you get the hang of things.”

Louis nodded and took his mother’s hand, placing a gentle kiss over her knuckles. “Mimi gave me two hundred dollars to go school shopping,” he smiled. “Can we go tomorrow?”

Anna chuckled and kissed his forehead. “Anything for the birthday boy,” she grinned. “Try and get some rest. I think Marcus’ mother said she’d bring him over tonight for a while.” With that, she stood and exited Louis’ room.

It took all of five minutes for him to get comfortable enough to let his eyes slip close and fall asleep.

Later that night, after Marcus left, Louis returned to the living room to begin picking up the mess they made from playing the new Sonic video game and watching movies. He managed to clean up the left over popcorn and candy left out, and just started packing up the movies and video games when his mother walked into the room.

“Movies make me crave popcorn like Marcus constantly craves Twizzlers,” he giggled, not looking back to Anna.

“Lou, baby, will you sit down for a moment?” she asked quietly. Louis stopped what he was doing and snapped his head around, the tone of her voice something he’d never heard before. When he met her gaze, he noticed her cheeks were blotchy and eyes red rimmed, eyelashes sticking together.

“Momma, what happened?” he questioned, not daring to move from his spot.

Ana sniffled and sat down on the couch, patting the cushion next to her. “Come sit, my love.”

“Not until you tell me what happened,” Louis demanded. Anna closed her eyes as her bottom lip trembled. Louis felt his stomach drop.

“Sweetie,” she said carefully, opening her eyes and wiping at the tears that fell. “It’s about your father.”

*

Louis took a steadying breath and leaned back against a stool he’d brought to the front of the stage. He looked at his team, obviously used to hearing this story, and turned back to the crowd.

“My father was killed while working on a case,” he told the audience. “Oddly enough, he was working a death row case that unfortunately ended badly with both parties. At just twelve years old, I was forced to listen to the details of my father’s death, and why he was killed in the first place. The reason I tell that story is to relate that back to my students.” Louis stood from the stool and walked back over to the podium, reaching for his father’s case files. He brought it to the table sat up and dropped one folder. “This was my father’s murder file.” The folder thumped against the table quietly. “This,” he said, dropping the next, “was the case he was working on.” The second file fell harder. “In this line of work, we run into cases that have been open for years and are even thicker than these two. If a twelve year old can make it through that process, I have no doubt my students are more than capable of doing the same.”

Louis took both files and hid them behind the podium once more, straightening out his suit jacket and tie before returning to his stool.

“Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I’d like to let my team, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, and Liam Payne take the floor. If you’re a student, you’re going to want to take notes,” he smiled. Louis sat back on his stool and let Liam stand to address the crowd.

Liam cleared his throat. “My name is Liam Payne, I’m currently twenty-eight years old, and I’m what people call Muscles...”

~

Louis loosened his tie and let it hang around his neck, a sheen of sweat covering his skin from the stage lights beaming down on him for the previous two hours. His jacket had been long lost within the first hour and he went to grab it from where it hung off a chair, tossing it on top of his bag.

Rummaging beside him, Liam, Niall, and Zayn continued to clean the area of their files, bags, and notes. Niall typed away on his computer, saving documents and closing the software he was using. Liam helped Zayn to pick up any stray paper that had fallen from their folders. They packed those folders and notebooks into a box that sat in the middle of the table. Once they were finished, they began gathering their personal belongings.

“What would you say about a round at Maggie’s?” Liam suggested.

Louis slung his jacket over his arm, followed by his bag and walked away from the stage. “I’m going to pass. It’s been a long day, and I’m exhausted. Plus, I need to go home and make sure Duck has her dinner.”

Niall followed close behind him with his own things. “I have a pint of ice cream in my freezer calling my name, so I’m with Tommo on this one.”

Zayn groaned and grabbed Liam’s jacket, handing it over to the boy. “You have a closer relationship to your cat than you do with us. You never want to come out with us anymore,” he whined, sporting his best pout, even sticking his bottom lip out.

Ignoring Zayn and Liam, Louis continued walking through the auditorium. “Cookies and cream again?” he wondered.

Niall gagged and waved off Louis’ comment. “Nah, mate, butter pecan is where it’s at.”

Behind them, Liam and Zayn finally followed suit. “I hope they bring back the seasonal shit. That candy cane flavor or summat. Zayn and I love that with chocolate sauce on top,” he smiled smugly.

Louis held open the door and let the group pass, ushering them through so he could lock up the building. He also landed a front row seat watching Zayn pale at Liam’s comment. “Something to share with the class, Malik?” Louis pressed.

Liam froze and turned to face his boyfriend, eyebrows high on his forehead.

Zayn fish mouthed for a moment before sighing heavily and pinching the bridge of his nose, his free hand flipping Louis off. “I – um – I really hate that stuff, babe.”

If Louis could have captured the look on Liam’s face with a camera, it would have gone viral.

“My, my, how the tables have turned,” Niall quipped from the sidelines. Louis shot him a look and rolled his eyes.

“How long have you been waiting to use that one, idiot?” Louis snipped.

Niall laughed loudly and skipped away from the building to his own vehicle.

Louis ushered the two boys away from the door so he could lock it before walking to his truck. He didn’t hear what was going on behind him with Zayn and Liam, but he figured the two of them would work it out.

Throwing his things in the backseat, like he did all the time, Louis opened the driver’s door and climbed in, jumping when Liam pulled himself into the passenger seat.

“Take me home, please.”

Louis snorted and rolled down his windows as he started the engine. He fasted his seat belt with a giggle.

“Babe, just ride home with me,” Zayn begged from where he sat on his bike.

Liam scoffed and buckled his seat belt. “You’re sleeping on the couch for the next month. And if you even think about trying to get laid, I’m going to cut your balls off and feed them to you,” he growled, slamming his door shut.

Louis giggled and put the truck in gear, pulling away from the campus. “A little harsh, no?”

“I like to see him grovel,” Liam replied with a grin.

“You’re one sick man, Liam Payne.”

Liam glanced over at his friend and winked. “Don’t I know it.”

** _Eight Years Prior_ **

_When Louis opened his eyes, his face was planted against the ground. His mind came back to him slowly, much like it did when he woke up before. His head pounded in his skull, and he felt sick to his stomach again. _

_“Good morning sleeping beauty,” a malicious voice called. Louis sat up too quickly, sliding back against a concrete wall. It was dark still, but the sun was rising steadily, the sky a light blue and purple. Louis watched from where the man was sat on a plastic box. “I was wondering when you were going to wake up.” _

_“What the fuck do you want from me?” he asked, his voice wavering just so. The man laughed softly. _

_“You’re going to follow my directions to the T,” he said slowly. Louis swallowed a thick lump in his throat. He knew enough from his father to keep a straight face, even in the eyes of a murderer. He had to keep his cool, remain calm. Remain in control. _

_“And if I don’t?” Louis snarked, reached one hand behind his head and grimacing when he saw the fresh blood there. _

_The man stood abruptly and made his way to Louis, wrapping his hand around the boy’s throat and snarling. “You’re in no position to disobey me, boy.” He spit on the floor right next to Louis’ hand, his grip never letting up. “The way I see it, you’re either going to do what I say, or that beautiful family you have back home will be getting a call about their son.” _

_They were going to kill him. They were going to kill him right there. _

_Fuck, where was Harry? _

_Louis felt his stomach drop but ignored the bile rising in his throat. Instead, he wrapped his hands around the man’s hands and tried to push him away. “What did you do to Harry?” he struggled, words slurring together as the edges around his eyes grew fuzzy. _

_The man scoffed and loosened his tight grip, letting Louis fall to the ground as he coughed. “we took care of him, just like we did his brothers.” Louis gagged, tears prickling his eyes. One fell down his cheek, but he turned to hide his face away from the man still towering over him. “We took care of the three of them because they didn’t listen to us. So,” the man said, grabbing Louis and pulling him to his feet, pushing him against the hard slab, “you’re going to follow my instructions, or you’ll end up just like they did.” _

_With a staggering breath and a snarl, Louis nodded his head. “Fine. But leave the rest of their family alone,” he begged. _

_The man smiled devilishly. “You have yourself a deal.” _

**~**

Louis rubbed his temples with the tips of his fingers as the next to last group of students made their way back to their seats. His head pounded against the inside of his skull, and he was ninety percent sure he had a migraine. Beside him, Zayn sighed heavily and moved his hair away from his face. Louis glanced at his friend and shook his head.

“Right,” Louis stated loudly. He stood from his chair and scrubbed a hand down his face. “Would someone like to tell me how you’ve made it to this class? Because I’m convinced none of you deserve to be here right now.”

Zayn stood and reached for his clip board. “Would the last group please come up to the front and present your case?” he announced.

“And please, for the love of god, give me something we can actually work with,” Louis muttered as he sat back down.

The group of four filed in front of the rest of the class. Aletha pulled out a file folder as the rest of the group readied themselves. She glanced at Niall, who nodded his head and gave her a smile.

“My name is Aletha Bennet, with me today are my colleagues, Jaclyn Masters, Luke Yates, and Bryce Adams. Today we will be presenting case number 0056428, defendant name Harry Styles,” she stated proudly. Louis felt his throat seize, but he swallowed around the thick coating in his throat and listened to what the group had to say, willing his heart to calm its rapid beating.

“Mr. Styles was arrested when he was nineteen,” Bryce said, “under a double murder charge, arson, and theft. He was subjected to a six month trial before he was convicted, and ultimately placed on death row where he has resided since then.” The boy looked down at his notes. “Mr. Styles was granted appeals by the state, but none of them changed his conviction.”

Jaclyn took her turn, holding up three pictures. “The first picture I have for you is of the crime scene. His two brothers, William and James, were brutally murdered in the family home while their parents were absent. The second picture is of Styles the night he was arrested.” She turned it around to look at it before showing the class again. “Notice the bags under his eyes, how red they are. He’s covered in blood that isn’t his, with bruises and cuts all over his face.”

Louis cleared his throat to interrupt gently. “Ms. Masters, please remember in a court room, the prosecutor will claim speculation. For future reference, try to stay away from accusatory language when concerning the defendant.”

Jaclyn nodded and smiled. “I will, Mr. Tomlinson.”

“Please continue,” Louis said, throwing a smug grin at Niall and Liam.

“The third and final picture I want to show you is six months before Mr. Styles was arrested.” Jaclyn placed the two pictures of Harry side by side for the class to see. “I want you to take a long, hard look at these photos. As you can see, these two photos are nothing alike. While the prosecutors may blame that on physical fights the defendant may have gotten into while committing the crimes, I’d like to argue that and say that’s not the case.”

Bryce took over this time, giving the class a warm grin. “Harry Styles was nineteen years old. He just finished a semester at college and was enjoying his summer. In his case file, Styles reported that he hadn’t been using his laptop since classes ended, which would have been in May.”

Luke pulled out a piece of paper from a file and held it up in front of him. “IT says here that the laptop our defendant owned contained incriminating evidence to prove that he purchased the murder weapon, arsenic, and transferred the stolen money into his account in one night. However, a murder like this would take weeks to plan our thoroughly.”

Aletha took her place at the front of their group and looked over to Louis, confidence seen in her eyes. “Like Luke stated, a murder like this would take time and effort into planning. Harry Styles would not have had the time to do what he was convicted of in the course of a few hours. With Mr. Horan, we believe that we can prove the defendant is not guilty.” She stepped a bit closer towards Louis and turned to the class at large. “Styles is not a killer. He’s a boy who was wrongfully accused and deserves a fair trial with a team who knows exactly what they’re doing.”

The group all gathered up their things after ending their presentation and filed back to their respective seats. Louis felt a rush of air push from his lungs, and he stood, glancing at his team for the go ahead. Niall nodded his head, followed by Zayn, and then Liam.

“Alright,” Louis spoke to the class. “Thank you for wasting my time. I’d also like to thank our last group for proving to me that gremlins can actually make it in my class.” He turned to Aletha’s group and smiled. “Tomorrow morning, you’re going to meet with Niall and Zayn at my personal office. Until then, thank you for presenting your case.”

Zayn made his way to the front of the class. “Run along children. The last group, please stick around so I can give you the address to Mr. Tomlinson’s office. You’re all dismissed.”

Louis grabbed his water bottle from where it sat behind his desk and took a long swig.

It was game time.

*

The next afternoon, Louis sat on a stool in his living room with his feet propped up on the coffee table. Zayn and Niall sat around the living room with file folders laid out open. Aletha, Luka, Jaclyn, and Bryce were sitting on the floor, pouring over data like starved animals.

It was a slower day for Louis, having one class to take care of. After that, he stopped by the grocery store and picked up food and drinks for the students. He had anticipated a longer stay throughout the night since it was their first meeting about the case.

“Aletha,” Louis said as he took a bite out of his apple. “Since you’ve been working diligently on Mr. Styles’ case, what can you tell me about Harry’s family?”

The girl scrubbed at the corner of her eye and sat back against the coffee table. “Harry was the model student, worker, and son. He was perfect.”

Louis snorted and continued eating, thinking as he swallowed another bite. “Redundant,” he said passively. “Try again.”

Luka tossed a file towards her. “Mother and step father, Anne and Robin, two brothers, William and James,” he said. “We’ve gone over the family for three days now, and all she wants to do is go back to that stupid fucking laptop.”

“It’s not stupid, you cunt,” Aletha hissed. “The family is what was supposed to gets him out,” she added under her breath.

Louis stood and walked into his kitchen, pulling out a few sodas that he threw at his students when he returned to his stool. “You’re acting like children,” he snipped. “We don’t know exactly what’s going to get him out, because every jury and judge you will have is going to be different. You’re going to learn very quickly, you’ll have one judge who sides with the defendant and another who sentences life without parole.”

“Jesus, he’s infuriating,” Jaclyn scoffed. Louis turned to her with a smirk on his face.

“Why, thank you, Jaclyn,” he drawled with a grin, “you and I know that the charges against this kid are greater than many of the clients you’re going to take on.”

“I don’t think you realize what we’ve been trying to do since we got this case,” Bryce quipped. Louis barked out a laugh and rested his chin in his palm, glancing down at the boy who sat with his head in his hands.

“Please do enlighten me, Bryce,” Louis said sweetly. “I’d love to hear about your very first case and how its so very difficult.”

“Lou, come off him,” Liam snorted. Bryce picked his head up and groaned, shaking his head and falling face first into the carpeted floor. “Jesus, you’re all worse than last year’s bunch.”

Aletha groaned and stood, before she began pacing around the open space. “So far, all we know is that this kid shouldn’t be on death row. Given his background, especially with family and friend’s testimonies, he should have been cleared. So why wasn’t he cleared?”

Liam sat up a little straighter and rubbed at his chin. “Why didn’t the testimonies work on that particular judge?” he asked the room at large.

Louis sighed and cleared his throat. “The judge that sentenced him has always been known as a hard ass. You’d know the outcome the second you walked in the courtroom,” he answered. “Plus, that old fucker is known for giving out harsh sentences.”

Jaclyn pulled out a case file and opened it quickly, flipping through it until she stopped finally. “So, what you’re saying is that Styles never stood a chance? Even with his defense team, the judge already had a pretty good idea of what his conviction would be. Can’t we fight that?” she asked.

Louis shares a look with Liam. “If you looked back through Harr-“ he cleared his throat, “Styles’ file, you’ll see that one of his appeals was made for that very reason, and we all know how that went,” Louis answered. Jaclyn groaned and shut the file, pushing it away from her.

“Let’s just say we were able to get our hands on the laptop,” Bryce mused. Louis glanced at him with his brows raised. “If we were, and Niall was able to ‘work his magic’, we’d have something the other party doesn’t, right? We can make sure the jury knows the evidence was planted.”

Louis nodded slightly. “If we’re able to get it, then yes, it’s possible. The downside is knowing that the prosecutors can check records at the precinct and find our visit on the list. Once they know the laptop is gone, they can fight that.”

“Won’t it be void if it’s not added to evidence? And shouldn’t we need clearance to get it?” Luke offered. Louis swayed his head and nodded.

“I’ll make some phone calls. If anything, we can get Bonnie to sign for it.”

Liam stood and pulled out his phone. “We’d have to get in and get out without being seen, while also keeping our names on the downlow,” he explained. Louis grunted and rolled his head, getting the kinks of his neck. “Zayn, can you be the one to go down there?”

Zayn nodded and shut his folder. “I’d need to make sure Bonnie was on shift if we want to be stealthy. They can check the security cameras, but Bonnie knows how to hide,” the boy answered. Liam hummed and brought his phone to his ear.

“Niall, would you mind looking after my classes tomorrow?” Louis asked the blonde headed boy who sat on the couch and munched happily at his chips.

“Course, boss. Just send me whatever you want me to do and I’ll get it done,” Niall replied. “Or, I could go the old college route and make them watch a documentary.”

Louis fixed him with a glare and ended up smacking him on the shoulder.

All in all, the first day went well in Louis’ opinion, and the hunt for the laptop began.

~

The next few days for Louis ran him worse for wear. Niall covered classes while Louis, Liam, and Zayn set up a plan to get the laptop.

It was decided that Zayn was going to be the one to go get it. He knew Bonnie on a certain level, that even Liam didn’t know. All Louis knew was that years ago, Bonnie helped Zayn out of a serious investigation with the court and set him clear. Once Zayn began working for Louis, Bonnie was decidedly their mole regarding evidence lockers and evidence in general.

The students were making head way with details, putting their heads together and compiling each bit of information they found. With family ordeals, personal affairs, and even the one little detail that Aletha found that stated Harry was sent to a mental institution when he was younger. Louis and Niall found a way to fight that if and when the prosecutor decided to bring it up.

After a very heated discussion – Aletha and Jaclyn exchanged some words that even Louis wouldn’t use – it was an executive decision on Zayn’s part to take Jaclyn to finally go meet the inmate, Harry Styles.

Louis was nervous. He hadn’t seen the boy in eight in years, and the thought of that boy not being the same Harry Louis fell in love with was enough to shake him to his core. Which is why he ordered an extra shot of expresso in his coffee that he picked up that morning.

Visiting Harry was an exceptionally daunting feeling for Louis as he took the steps into the prison two at a time. Zayn came with him and Jaclyn to provide details regarding the case and how he’d be the one getting the computer. The man even brought written statements from Niall and Liam attesting to what they’d be doing with the case.

Once they arrived, they were asked to sit and wait for a guard to bring them back. Louis sat his bag down at his feet and sat back in the chair, feeling his heart hammering in his chest. Jaclyn chose the seat beside Louis, crossing her legs and holding her purse in his lap, her leg bouncing up and down just slightly. Zayn pulled his phone out of his pocket to send a quick text before huffing and sitting down.

“Calm down before we go in there,” Louis said lowly, eyes never falling away from the door the guard will come through.

Zayn cleared his throat and sat up straighter. “It was Bonnie,” he said in leu of an answer. Louis inhaled sharply and shook his head.

“Not the time, nor the place. Leave it until we get home,” the lawyer replied harshly.

Fifteen minutes later, Louis pulled his phone out of his pocket once more to check the time before depositing it in his bag. Beside him, Zayn and Jaclyn are looking over the case files, Zayn pointing to important things for the girl to highlight. Louis admired the way the two worked together; Jaclyn focusing her attention on the older man, writing down notes and details Zayn may say.

“Tomlinson,” a gruff, hard voice called at the doorway. Louis glanced at his team and stood from the chairs they sat in. Zayn and Jaclyn packed their things and followed behind Louis as the guard led them through a long hallway. “Mr. Styles is waiting for you in the common area. Take as much time as you need, but if he shows any sign of wanting to harm you or your team, we will come in and remove him from the situation.”

Louis scoffs and shakes his head. “I highly doubt he’s going to get out of hand,” he states firmly. There was a feeling in his gut that the kid was anything but dangerous. Louis knew it in his heart.

The guard stopped abruptly and opened a door, extending his arm to let Louis walk through, closing it again after the group. The lawyer took a deep breath and made his way to the table and sat down in one of the chairs, waiting for Zayn and Jaclyn to do the same. Once they did, Louis unbuttoned his jacket and placed his bag on the floor before he began pulling out files from his bag. Jaclyn followed suit, even going as far as yanking a pen from her purse and writing something down.

The door opened once again, and Louis was one hundred percent, completely, not ready for what followed.

** Bad Guy – Billie Eillish  **

Louis was sure he stopped breathing.

A guard guided Harry through the door, the boy’s chains clanking against the tile flooring, metal sounds echoing throughout the quiet room. His hands were cuffed in front of him, attached to a metal belt that also cuffed his ankles. As they neared the table, the guard clicked open the cuffs and slid the belt of Harry’s waist. The boy stretched and turned his wrists over, getting the feeling back into his own hands.

Louis exhaled sharply and swallowed around a thick gulp. Harry’s hair was long and cascaded around his face like mermaid’s locks. It looked silky and smooth as if he’d just been to the hair parlor. Tattoos covered his arms and hands, even stretching up to his neck and chest. Louis remembered a time when Harry’s skin was completely bare, only freckles dusting over his body. The boy never wanted tattoos when Louis knew him. His skin was milky and looked smooth under a dark purple bruise forming under his left eye.

Suddenly, Louis felt the realization hit that this was not the same Harry he knew once. The Harry he knew was soft, still troubled some, but soft around the edges. This Harry was hardened by prison, inked with dark tattoos that told a story on his skin. He was muscular, jumpsuit stretched tightly over his arms and torso. He was tall, taller than Louis remembered.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Harry scoffed as he sat down. He eyed Louis and his team with a smug smirk playing on his lips. “And what does a lawyer want to do with little ole me?”

Jesus, his accent got thicker, Louis realized.

“Harry Styles, I’m Louis Tomlinson,” Louis stated, holding out his hand. He gave Harry a sideways glance, momentarily moving his eyes towards Zayn and the student. Harry caught Louis’ gaze and followed it to the team, focusing on Louis once more. With a sigh, the boy nodded his head minutely and took Louis’ hand in his.

“Louis,” Harry replied. Louis felt goosebumps rise on his skin at the sound of his own name on Harry’s tongue. “Why are you here? I don’t remember trying for another appeal.”

Louis cleared his throat and motioned towards Zayn. “The class I’m teaching this semester has found some interesting details about your case, Mr. Styles,” he began.

“Harry.”

Louis stopped and looked at the boy. “Pardon?”

Harry ruffled his hair and pulled the long waves away from his face. “Just Harry. Stop with the ‘Mr. Styles’ bullshit. I’ve had enough of that in this place and it’d be nice to hear my own name again.” Louis nodded and gave him a sympathetic smile.

“I assume you know why we’re here, Harry,” Louis spoke gently. Harry’s gaze met his own, and the world seemed to slow around them. The boy’s bright green eyes glimmered in the dull lighting of the interview room. Harry ran his tongue along his bottom lip, wetting them before he spoke.

“My best guess is that you’re going to tell me you want to help get me off the row, and I’ll get my hopes up.” He stops to sigh heavily, “But in the end, I’ll still be stuck here because you couldn’t find anything new regarding my case,” Harry replied with a cheeky grin. When Louis and Zayn remained silent, Harry let out a deprecating laugh. “I’m pretty spot on, aren’t I?”

Zayn pulled the file open and turned to a specific page. “Harry, I’m Zayn Malik, and I’ll be helping with your case,” he said reaching out and shaking Harry’s hand. “This is Jaclyn Masters, one of Louis’ students. Jaclyn, why don’t you tell Harry what you’ve found,” he prompted.

Jaclyn nodded and pulled out her notes, turning the file towards Harry. “There’s a statement in your file regarding the computer you owned. When taking a closer look at your statement, we noticed that you hadn’t used the computer since the end of term,” she explained.

Harry glanced down at the file and nodded, sighing quietly. “Classes ended May 5th, and I hadn’t used it since then.” Jaclyn opened her mouth to speak, but Harry cut her off, leaning forward on the table. “I did not use my computer once classes ended. My first lawyer brought in as much man power as he could to try and trace links on my computer that connected me to the crime. So, to answer your question, no I didn’t use it.”

Louis smirked as Jaclyn fish mouthed for a moment. She nervously looked to Louis for help, so he gladly took over.

“They didn’t have Niall Horan,” he told Harry. The boy turned to him with a confused look on his face.

“Am I supposed to know who that is?” Harry wondered.

“Niall Horan is the best in his game, which is why I’ve kept him on my team for as long as I have. If there’s even a trace of the information being planted, we’re going to get it.”

“That thing’s been locked in evidence since I was convicted,” Harry replied. Louis shrugged and moved his fridge away from his face.

“And that’s why we have Zayn,” Louis said quietly. “Zayn will get the computer, and Niall will trace the information. If he can find a shred of evidence that it was planted, that’s going to be your best bet at getting you out of here.”

Harry scoffed and shook his head. “If you can prove it was planted, that’s all fine and dandy. But how do you figure it’s going to get me out of here?” he asked with a bored look. “Best case scenario, I’ll be sent to federal prison without parole. Do you realize what it looks like for me, Louis? Do you seriously think there’s a sliver of a chance you can get me out, clean slate, charge free?”

Louis cleared his throat and ignored Zayn’s affronted look. “You and I both know you didn’t commit these murders. If you just trust me and have a little faith, I’m going to get you out of here completely.”

“But how?” Harry pressed.

Louis grinned and looked Harry directly in the eye. “I have a secret weapon.”

Harry’s face flashed emotions at shutter speed, finally letting Louis’ words sink in. With a nod from Harry, Louis exactly what they were thinking. Louis winked and smirked.

Louis had the computer, bank statements, and the promise of the names of each and every man that hurt himself and Harry that night eight years ago. 

Harry nodded firmly and laced his fingers together on top of the table. He sighed and gave Zayn a small smile.

“Alright,” Harry said gently. “I’m in.” 

~

The preliminary hearing went well, all things considered. Louis had to have six jurors excused by cause of biased opinions, previous involvement in a prior hearing, and even the one juror who was a journalist who hailed the very first prosecutor’s praises when Harry was first put in jail.

Once the first hearing was done, things were looking up. The students finally finalized a competent fight against any prosecutor that came their way. Granted, most of the work would be done by Louis, but the thought was still there.

Just after the preliminary hearing, Niall was finally able to get the laptop. When Zayn came home with it, they celebrated with a pot of coffee at 2 am. As soon as Niall got his grubby little fingers on it and cracked through the firewall, Louis cried and hugged his team for five minutes straight. It took all of two hours for Niall to get every single bit of planted evidence tracked on that computer and documented. That meant the entire group stayed up until about 4 am waiting for him to finish. Two coffee pots later, and they all rejoiced. 

Louis never felt more alive.

The very next day, Louis took the evidence to the DA where they were able to come to an agreement that if the findings of the laptop were proven to support the defendant’s claim that Harry was innocent, the court would go to a retrial and potentially get Harry out with a clear name.

Louis, Niall, Liam, and Zayn stood outside near Louis’ truck and cried yet again over the case.

After Louis mentioned he needed to tell Harry, Niall and Zayn offered to stay with the students, promising Louis they’d get the plan laid out for the courtroom, while Louis and Liam went to see Harry. With plans in motion, Liam hopped in the driver’s seat and waited for Louis to buckle up before he sped to the prison, beaming smiles on both of their faces.

“Hey, Lou,” Liam spoke as they drove through town. Louis turned away from the window and sighed easily.

“Yes, my dear Liam?”

“You never told me why you took on this case,” the boy said slowly, like he didn’t want to make Louis angry.

“Well,” Louis replied breathing deeply, “I’ve never told anyone about my life before I got my license.”

Liam huffed. “But why?” he asked. “Why have I never seen you hold down a relationship for longer than two weeks? Why do you never want to talk about your family, nor about your younger years?”

“Liam – “

“And you always tell that story about your father, but I know it – fuck, even Niall and Zayn know – there’s something you don’t want to tell us. And I get it honestly – “

“Liam, just – “

“But we’re your team, we have to know if there’s a case or you need me to handle it or – “

“For fucks sake, Liam, shut the hell up, you absolute fucking dickhead!” Louis yelled loudly, slamming his hand against the car door. “If you’d shut your trap for two seconds, I’ll tell you what’s going on.” He took a deep breath and rubbed his hands over his face, groaning into his palms.

“I’m sorry,” Liam said softly, “we’re just worried.”

Louis sighed and nodded, pulling his shirt away from his neck. “I know you’re worried,” Louis replied. “I’ve never told anyone about what happened, because I knew the second, I did, I’d be put on trial.”

Liam glanced at him for a moment before pulling into a parking lot near the prison building. Once he parked, he unbuckled his seat belt and turned towards the lawyer. “Spill. Everything. I’m not leaving this lot until you tell me what the fuck happened,” he said sternly. “All I want to do is help you, but I can’t help you unless I know what’s going on.”

Louis unbuckled his belt and dropped his head back against the headrest. With another deep breath in and out, he closed his eyes and relayed his story.

So, Louis told Liam about the night and how it started. How he and Harry had been dating for a while. How he was there the first- and second-times Harry was sent to a mental institution because of bad trips. How he was there to see Harry go from being a boy who was every definition of angelic before his brothers began dealing.

Louis told him how that night started like any other and was quickly turned upside down by a group of men kidnapping the boys and dropping them off somewhere in the middle of a gang fight. How, even though he just got him back, Louis lost Harry in the blink of an eye. He told Liam how he was knocked unconscious again, and when he woke up, he was threatened. Not only that, but he believed that Harry was already dead.

Later, when Louis finally returned to his home in Weimar, he was forced to hire a lawyer of his own and remove all traces of his name or presence at the school he attended with Harry gone. None of his family knew about Harry (a choice Louis made to protect him. He knew as soon as the drugs and mental institution were brought up, the family wouldn’t want Louis to see the boy anymore. Louis knew it was smart to keep the boy a secret). He made up a lie that someone was stalking him, so he needed to get out of the situation. The lawyer, and his family, believed Louis, so the process was easy.

Louis also told Liam about why he found his team when he did. Liam came along first, after Louis found him as a bouncer for a club. He offered the boy a position he couldn’t refuse and that was that. He needed someone with muscle to handle dirt if it ever came about. Plus, it’d be good to have someone who looked like Liam on the team to show some dominance.

Zayn fell in Louis’ lap as it were. At the time, Louis had just been finishing up a case with Liam. He was dropping off some of the evidence he’d used back to the locker at the DA’s office. Zayn, unfortunately, walked out the door and straight into Liam. It took two days and a very deep conversation with Liam before the boy was finally meeting with Louis to discuss a job. Zayn did most of the inside work, going to different firms, getting plea deals and the like, and other little things for Louis when he asked.

Now, Niall Horan. That annoying little bastard would be the death of Louis. That was proved very quickly within the first ten minutes of meeting the boy. During a first-degree murder case, Louis’ computer crashed with all the important information regarding the case on it. Zayn made a few calls, and Niall Horan was brought on to help with the computer. The man didn’t make save the computer until forty-five minutes to the start of the trial. The information was saved, thankfully, and Niall Horan was brought on to Louis’ team as resident dumb ass.

Louis explained to Liam how he found out about Harry being in prison, and not only that, but also on death row. He explained how he knew if he was going to win that case, he needed to have a career under his belt to get the state to let him have it. Louis needed a trustworthy team to work with, and a career that can be used in court as a source credibility. As soon as he saw the news that Harry was being put on the row, he made himself a promise that one day he’d get the boy out clear.

When Louis was finish with his story, Liam sat back, silent. He wouldn’t look at Louis. He rested his arm on the car door and pressed his fist against his lips, breathing deeply, slowly.

Louis watched the clock on his truck turn, turn, turn, until it had been close to ten minutes. Eventually, Liam closed his eyes and sighed heavily. “Were you ever planning on telling me?” he asked.

Louis nodded easily. “Yes,” he replied.

“And when you wanted me to go to the prison to talk to the guards about Styles,” Liam started, “that was your Harry?”

“Yes.”

Liam nodded. “And you didn’t want me to tell Zayn that first day of class because you knew everyone would start asking questions?”

“Right again,” Louis replied.

Liam buckled his seat belt once more and put the truck in drive without another word. Louis remained silent to let Liam process. Before they pulled out of the lot, Louis fastened his belt and settled into his seat again.

The boy didn’t say anything until they reached the prison. Louis kept his mouth shut as Liam pulled into a parking spot and put the truck in park, cutting the engine. Just as Louis was about to climb out his door, Liam grabbed his wrist to stop him.

Liam sighed and said softly, “I’m not going anywhere, Lou. I know if you told Niall and Zayn, they’d understand. We’re your family and love you, regardless of what happened to you in your past.”

Louis sat there for a moment, stunned. He didn’t know what Liam’s reaction would be when he finally processed all the information. But with the boy, looking like the kicked little puppy he was, with his big eyes and forgiving little pout, Louis couldn’t help it. He felt tears prickling behind his eyes and a thick lump in his throat as he flung himself across the console, wrapping his arms around his best friend’s shoulders.

“I love you, mate,” Louis choked, his voice cracking.

Liam chuckled and sniffled a little himself. “I love you too, fucking asshat.” When they pulled away, Liam wiped his eyes and pushed Louis off him. “Go see your boy and tell him the good news.”

Louis cackled and grabbed his bag, bolting from the truck and into the building.

Once inside, Louis called for a guard to get Harry to come to the common area. The guard took Louis back within a few moments and sat Louis at a table to wait for Harry.

Harry followed in shortly, sitting across from Louis with a huff. “What can I do for you this fine morning?” Harry asked. Louis beamed at him, reaching into his bag and pulling out the file containing the judge’s written documentation concerning Harry’s case. 

“I’ve been thinking about your case,” Louis leveled, sliding over the case file. Harry huffed and let him continue. Louis rolled his eyes. “Zayn was able to get your computer from evidence.”

“Did he sleep with the clerk or pay them off?” Harry scoffed.

The lawyer sighed heavily. “Despite what you may think, Mr. Styles, my team is professional and rightfully so.”

“Here we go with that Mr. Styles bullshit again,” the younger boy mocked. “I’m assuming your tech guy got into it?”

Louis nodded smugly. “Indeed, he did. He was able to crack through whatever security wall those idiots set up and found traces of the information being deliberately planted the night of the murders.” Harry process the information and bobbed his head along with the information. His eyes fluttered closed and he breathed deeply. Louis kept his comment about the boy’s hands shaking to himself.

“What does this mean for me, though?” he wondered.

Louis smiled and flipped to a new page in the file that he’d added that morning before heading to see the boy. “Read the third sentence of the second paragraph please.”

Harry began reading through the page, finding the requested sentence. His eyes scanned over it and glanced up at Louis for a moment before returning. “Lou – “

“Read it out loud, Harry,” Louis pressed, still sporting a bright grin.

“’Should the court find evidence of foul play in correspondence with the laptop belonging to Harry Edward Styles, said court will then reconsider the accusations against the client.’”

“Now read the next sentence.”

Harry whimpered and sniffled as his bottom lip shook. “’The court will also reconsider said accusations in correspondence with bank statements provided by the defendant’s lawyer.’” The boy stopped reading and looked up, his eyes welling up with tears. “Lou, does this mean what I think it means?”

Louis nodded and swallowed around the lump in his throat. “I may have kept Niall and Liam up all night to get all the information we needed. After that, I called the prosecutor and met with the judge early this morning,” he explained, lacing his fingers on top of the table. “As far as details, no one knows what we know, which we’re going to use to our advantage. Niall set up a firewall security so even if they wanted to, they couldn’t hack our systems to find the statements and proof of the computer fraud.”

Harry listened intently, glancing at Louis through his lashes every so often as he read the page entirely. Louis had to pat himself and the team on the back for the work they did over the course of thirty-four hours, eight pots of coffee, and multiple failed attempts at naps. He was proud of what they accomplished, even if it did take a minor toll. Honestly, Louis decided he’d have to start paying his team more for what they did.

“No one knows what we know?” Harry asked, breaking Louis away from his trance.

With a shake of his head, Louis replied, “Nothing, Harry, they know nothing.”

Harry closed the file and slid it across the table, scrubbing his thumb and forefinger across his eyelids, then lowering his hand to scratch the back of his neck. “I never thought there was actually a chance. Texas legislature really fucked me over.”

“Listen,” Louis said, his voice soft and careful. “I told you to trust me; the details were always there, we just needed a little push to bring them to light.” Harry nodded and glanced up at the lawyer, diverting his gaze back to the table. Louis sighed and kicked him softly under the table. In a split second decision, he used a voice he hadn’t brought out since he’d been with the boy. “Harry, look at me.”

Obedient like Louis knew he would be, Harry met Louis’ eyes.

“What are you so afraid of, Haz?” Louis questioned.

“The entire world thinks I killed them,” the poor thing whined. “I don’t know what I can do to change their minds.” He hiccupped a sob softly. Louis wanted to just wrap him up in his arms. As soon as he could get the boy out of that place, Louis promised himself he’d hug Harry for all he was worth. 

Louis reached across the table and took Harry’s hand, uncaring of watching eyes. “We show them you’re still the same Hazza I knew,” he said gently. “We show them you’re not who they played you to be.”

Harry scoffed and snatched his hand away. “You’ve never been pinned as a murderer, Louis. You wouldn’t get it,” Harry hissed.

“Harry – “

“No, Lou, you don’t understand,” Harry snapped, his voice growing louder. His eyes were wild with emotions. A single tear managed to roll down his cheek before he wiped it away quickly. “You may be able to get me out of here, and that’s amazing, don’t get me wrong. But what’s going to happen to me afterward? My case went viral – “

“But that doesn’t mean anything!” Louis interrupted. “They know what the media has told them. After people see that they’ve got it all wrong, their perspective will change.”

“Like they did with your father?” the younger boy asked, malice suddenly dripping in his tone. “Sure sounded like your father was having an affair when the press aired.”

** Got It – Marian Hill  **

Louis barked a laugh and sat back in his chair. “Very mature, Harry. I have to say, I thought you’d come up with something a little more interesting than my father having an affair.”

Harry lifted one brow. Like a silent challenge. “How did that work out for you? The whole, affair with the client’s wife, thing. When you were trying to get your degree, bet you heard a lot of that shit.”

“You did enjoy making a spectacle of yourself, I do remember that,” Louis said. His mind raced with witty comments he could make to shut the boy up, but the only thing he could think of was the time he and Harry spent their free time participating in extracurricular activities. “I remember a few times you quite enjoyed acting like a brat,” he decided on, smirking just the slightest bit.

Harry chuckled lowly. He leaned forward on the table with his fingers laced. “Oh, but I wasn’t talking to Louis back then, was I?”

The desire to stand from the table and bend Harry over it was overwhelming. But alas, Louis was a professional and knew he had to act like it.

Louis took the file folder and stuffed it in his bag. “Maybe you do belong in this place,” he said. “You used to act like this when you knew there was punishment following, and that was in a closed environment. You are nothing like the Harry I knew.”

“Yeah, and what version of me was that? The submissive junkie you fell in love with in University, or the terrified little boy from community?” Harry questioned. “Now you don’t even want to look at me, the same fucking guy who’s had to fight for his life in this hell hole.”

“No, you prick,” the lawyer replied. “I miss the Harry that taught English classes at the women’s shelter in Dallas. I miss the Harry that would walk Mr. Hugh’s dog for him when his wife passed, and still managed to get him out of the house for weekly breakfast dates. I miss the Harry that took his older brothers all the fucking way to South Padre for Spring Break because you knew they’d never been.” Louis stopped and swiped at his eye, tears on the verge despite himself. “And I fucking miss the Harry that didn’t pretend to act like a hard ass in front of the one person who loved him even when he was high out of his mind.”

Harry looked away from Louis and shook out his hair. “I’m still the same fucking person,” he said with no malice in his voice at all. For the first time, the boy sounded genuine.

“Then tell me why you’re so god damned scared of this? The Harry I knew grew to be confident. He learned how to make himself better and happier.” Louis motioned to Harry’s body, “This Harry doesn’t even want to leave this place after everything you’ve done to get out. You’re scared. You’re a coward.” He stopped to take a breath. “Can’t say I like this version of Harry.”

With that, the lawyer stood and grabbed his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. He began walking towards the exit, lifting his hand to the buzzer to unlock the door. Before he could do that, however, his client beat him to it.

“And I’m the immature one,” Harry mumbled under his breath.

Everything that Louis had been feeling over the course of covering Harry’s case just bubbled up inside his body. His heart raced as he spun around on his heels and stalked back over to the table, ignoring the bored look on the boy’s face. His hands shook, and white anger buzzed his veins. “You’re acting like a child,” Louis sneered, dropping his bag to the floor and splaying his hands across the table. “A spoiled brat who didn’t get the candy at the fair.”

“And you think you’re better?” Harry hissed. “Walking in this shit hole like you own it. If you even knew half the things I lived through while being here, you’d run home scared to your boys.”

Louis laughed loudly. “So, you think just because I’m a lawyer, I have it easy? I don’t think you understand the repercussions I face each time I lose a case. I’m the son of Robert Tomlinson, the man murdered and rumored to be having an affair with his client’s wife. I have to hold the high ground.” 

“Did you think this was easy for me?” Harry screamed. “Did you think I’d just get it easy in here because I’m younger? It’s been anything but easy!” his voice wavered and cracked, the boy’s bottom lip trembling. “When I got locked up, I was just another pretty boy with a pretty face. Tell me, in what world would _I_ have it easy here? Not to mention, the entire fucking world thinks I murdered my brothers! I hope you never get the chance to understand the shit I’ve been through. Murdering family in cold blood gets you a death sentence in a place like this. And I’m not just talking about the needle.”

Louis shifted, scoffing and relaxing his shoulders, staring down at the poor boy who sat in his chair, tears falling down his cheeks. He stopped to wipe his own face before he opened his mouth to speak.

“Look, I’ve spent the last eight years trying to find a way to get you out of here,” Louis quipped. “I had to build enough successful cases that they’d let me have this one. I had to build a team, Harry. A team with enough skills to make sure we could actually get you out of here.” He stopped to take a deep breath. “These past eight years have been hell and full of regret. But I had to do what I needed to, to get to this point. You have to understand that.”

Harry scoffed and shook his head, leaning back in his chair. “Eight years, huh? Eight fucking years doing what? Getting a piece of fucking paper to prove something? Paper can burn quicker than these handcuffs, sweetheart,” he said, motioning to his feet. “As far as I can see, the only thing you’ve succeeded in doing is digging up old ghosts and making me relive those memories. Where were you during my trial? You told me you were in it for the long run, and I fucking believed you.”

“Jesus, Harry, you think I don’t regret that? You think I just up and left because I wanted to?” Louis hissed. “I told you that night I wanted those sick fuckers put behind bars!”

Harry leveled Louis with a growl. “And look at where we are now, Louis.”

“You could have named me out in the trial, Harry,” Louis snipped. “But you never called me out. Everyone knows who my father is. You never said anything about me, about our relationship, about your fucking boyfriend. Why is that?”

“I told my lawyer about you, and she said she dug into everything she could and couldn’t find a Louis Tomlinson,” he replied. “She tried your mom, your grandparents, everyone she could think of. She investigated your father’s family, but no one said they could find you. Do you realize that, Lou? Your entire family covers for you and suddenly Louis Tomlinson disappears.”

Louis groaned loudly with frustration. “I didn’t have a choice in the matter, alright? I could have died that night.”

“You fucking left, Lou!” Harry yelled, slamming his hands against the table. “You left me here, alone!”

“I didn’t have anywhere else to go, Harry,” Louis tried to explain.

“You could have come back to me!”

“I thought you were fucking dead!” Louis finally snapped. He wiped his face and cradled his head in his hands. “I was in love and I was scared, and they told me you were dead.” Louis collected himself and sighed heavily, allowing Harry to process the information.

“But – I – and – they – “

“I woke up under some overpass. One of the guys made sure I knew that you were gone. With my family still in Weimar, they promised me they’d leave me alone if I kept my mouth shut and left. So, I made a deal,” Louis explained. “I made a deal and packed my shit up that night, left at four a.m. before anyone could see me, and drove home. I even switched universities because I couldn’t stand to be in central Texas without you.”

“I was here,” Harry cried. He leaned over the table and took Louis’ hands within his own. “I’ve been right here the entire time.”

Louis nodded through the tears. He sniffled loudly and laughed. “Never thought a case like this would bring me to tears,” he mumbled, idly tracing his thumb over Harry’s skin. “I almost forgot what it was like to hold you. To feel you.”

“My first year was full of trying to remember what you sounded like, what you looked like, and how soft your skin is right behind your ear,” Harry smiled. Louis mirrored his smile and wiped his face again, ridding it of all tears.

“I remember how green your eyes get when it’s raining outside.”

“And the way you get scared of thunderstorms.”

Louis giggled and kissed the top of Harry’s knuckles. “My orange and purple sunset sky.”

Harry sniffled and nodded. “My blue starry sky.”

~

To say the trial was grueling was an understatement. For the first few days, Louis was calling in witnesses from family members, old friends, and university professors that could attest to Harry’s good character. Many of the witness were grilled by prosecutors, and on one account to the point of actual tears. (Louis quickly excused him and sent him home before any more damage could have been done.)

It looked like most of the jury were on Harry’s side, which was good, but also meant the prosecutor would be digging deep for details that could get Harry to crack. Obviously, there wouldn’t be anything for him to crack for, but if he showed any sign of doubt on the stand, the judge could take that in different ways.

Before the first session, Louis pulled Harry aside and calmed him down, gave him a quick pep talk about staying strong and keeping his mind focused.

The last day of the trial was decidedly the worst yet. The prosecutor was grilling Harry for all he was worth and was constantly putting words in his mouth. It baffled Louis how much the judge was allowing. He’d brought up incidents that even Louis forgot existed.

“Mr. Styles,” the prosecutor said slowly. “Your lawyer seems to think you’ve not committed a single crime that’s been charged to you.” He walked to the front of the stand where Harry sat quietly. “Tell me, does arson and theft take you to death row?” he asked. He then laughed lowly and smiled, “Can’t forget about murder, can we?”

“Objection, Your Honor, the prosecutor is taunting my client,” Louis roared. Harry sent him a thankful glance.

“Sustained,” the judge decided. “Get on with it, Mr. Jones.”

“If I do remember correctly, you were put on death row for the heinous murders of both of your brothers. William and James, is it?” Jones stated. “If the jury will look at exhibit E, I have provided police reports and photo evidence of the murders. Now, it says here Harry Styles was not only at the home where the murders took place, but police say they also found him still asleep in his own bed.”

“I was drugged, that was why I was still asleep,” Harry said certainly.

“Or,” Jones smiled, “you pretended to be asleep when the police arrived at the scene. Maybe you really did fall asleep after you committed the murders – “

“Objection! Speculation!” Louis seethed, standing up abruptly and pushing his chair back. Zayn gripped his arm tightly.

“Mr. Jones, you’re not here to speculate and torment the defendant. Either you ask him a damn question, or let him off the stand,” the judge demanded.

Jones nodded and placed two photos in front of Harry. Louis had seen the evidence before the session began and begged to keep those pictures away from the boy. He knew Harry didn’t need to see those pictures again, not when Louis saw the footage of how he handled seeing them the first time around.

“Tell me what you see here, Harry,” Jones said.

Louis watched as Harry glanced up at the pictures, studying them. His bottom lip trembled and he blinked quickly. Harry took a steadying breath as a single tear fell down his cheek.

“Those are pictures of my brothers,” Harry replied, his voice cracking on the last word.

“And describe the pictures for the jury, please.”

Harry sucked in a breath and glanced at Louis. “William and James. They – they’re – um – they’re lying on their bedroom floors. They’re – um – they’re skin is missing.”

Louis took Zayn’s hand off his arm and sat back down in his chair, seething breathes coming out of his mouth every half second.

“Why did you do this to your brothers, Harry?” Jones asked slowly.

“Objection!” Louis screamed.

“I didn’t kill my brothers,” Harry said evenly, his voice low and broken.

“Then why were you found the way you were? With blood on your clothes, splatters in your hair, and the weapon under your bed?”

“They drugged me! I don’t know who it was, but they drugged me!”

“You were put into a psychiatric hospital, weren’t you?” Jones asked this time. “You spent quite a long time in that hospital from what I can tell. Maybe being in the hospital changed your mind about a few things. Maybe you were angry with your family for putting you into the hospital. Maybe, just maybe, it was one of your brothers who took you in the first place.”

“Your Honor, the prosecution is badgering Mr. Styles, and I’m not going to stand for it,” Louis hissed. Jones turned and looked at him for just a moment, turning back to Harry, tears now streaking the boy’s pale cheeks.

“Why did you kill your brothers, Harry? I won’t ask again.”

“I didn’t kill them.”

“And yet, you’re so innocently found with traces of their blood in your room and hair, the murder weapon under your bed, incriminating information on your laptop, and to top it all off, you’re the only one that was seen going into that house. Tell me why you killed your brothers!”

“I swear on my life, I didn’t kill them. They were the only family I knew. Why would I want to ever hurt someone I loved?” Harry cried.

“And setting the shed on fire? Burning their clothes?” Jones pressed.

“I hadn’t been to the shed for years,” Harry said, his voice shot to hell. “I didn’t even have the keys anymore.”

Louis’ heart broke for him.

“Murdering your own blood, burning the evidence, and stealing the money from their bank accounts?” Jones laughed.

“Objection!” 

“Sit down, Mr. Jones, or I will have you thrown out of this court room!” Judge yelled, startling Harry. “From the moment Mr. Jones began his cross examination, I am forfeiting the information. Let’s recess and come back. When we get back in this court room, I expect model behavior out of you,” he said to Jones. The man nodded and grabbed his things, sulking out of the courtroom.

Louis stood up to get Harry, but the boy was already gone. He turned to find Liam standing right behind him. “Where is he?” Louis asked.

“Guards took him to a room to calm down. We can talk to him, but you have to hurry,” Liam replied, taking Louis by the arm and leading him through the rooms. They finally reached a door that had two men stationed.

“I’m his lawyer,” Louis said, moving towards the door. “You let me in to see my client or I will have you both fired for obstruction of lawyer to client conversation,” he added when neither one had moved. They looked at each other for a moment and decided to walk away. Louis turned to Liam asking, “Stay here and knock once for a warning.”

“Got it, boss.”

When Louis opened the door, he found Harry sitting on the floor with his knees up and his head dropped down between his legs, his palms covering his ears. He made his way over to the boy. “Harry, it’s me, love,” he tried. When Harry didn’t reply, Louis sat down and rested a hand on Harry’s leg, finally getting his attention.

“Fuck, Lou, they’re going to put me back on the row,” Harry heaved, cradling his head between his hands. “They’re going to kill me,” he gasped, eyes wide and chest billowing. “They’re going to fucking kill me, Lou, I’m never going to see the sunshine again; dear fucking god, they’re going to kill me -”

Louis dropped to his knees and pulled Harry’s hands away from his face, revealing the poor, sobbing boy that Louis first fell in love with. This boy was different from the one he’d seen behind bars. He didn’t put up a front to survive in prison, he didn’t pretend to be someone he wasn’t, this boy in front of him was a pure soul, and Louis could see it in his eyes. “Harry Styles, you listen, and you listen to me, okay?” he soothed, bracketing Harry’s face within his fingers, rubbing his thumbs over the boy’s cheekbones. “You are going to go back out to that stand and you’re going to fight for your god damn life, you hear me?”

Harry shook his head, letting out a heartbreaking sob. “I’m going to die,” he cried, placing his hands over Louis’ wrists, holding tightly against his skin.

Louis closed his eyes and bowed his head, a few tears of his own escaping despite himself. “You’re not going to fucking die because I won’t let that happen,” He said loudly, surging forward and connecting their lips before he could think better of it. Thank god, Liam stood watch at the door.

** Lion – Saint Mesa  **

Harry stopped moving completely, stilling under Louis’ touch, not daring to disrupt the moment.

Louis couldn’t believe what he’d done until he was already in too deep. He pulled away from Harry for just a second, looking the young boy in his eyes. Louis exhaled deeply, eyes searching all over Harry’s face to look for signs of discomfort or regret.

In a moment’s time, Harry whimpered and pulled Louis back to his space, joining their lips again. He parted his lips, letting Louis’ eager tongue explore his mouth.

Sitting up on his knees, Louis leaned over and wound one hand to the back of Harry’s head, a low growl sounding in the back of his throat as he leaned over Harry and kissed him freely. “I’m getting you out of here,” Louis said gruffly. The slow honey drip of his words sent goosebumps up Harry’s spine.

“You’re going to get me out of here,” Harry replied, nodding and kissing Louis again, this time sitting up and pushing the older boy into a sitting position.

“You’re not going to die,” Louis pressed, yanking Harry onto his lap and pulling each thigh over his own legs. “I’m not going to let that happen, Hazza.”

Harry whined and ground his hips down in a small circle, unbuttoning Louis’ jacket and slipping it off, tossing it to the side before wrapping his arms around Louis’ neck and shoulders. “I’m not going to die,” he whined, twisting his hips down again and catching a friction he didn’t know he needed.

“You’re going to get on that stand,” Louis said firmly, Harry trailing searing kisses down the side of his neck, “and fight for your god damn life.” He grabbed handfuls of Harry’s cheeks that were held tightly in the boy’s suit pants, pulling them apart and bringing him even closer to his body, eliciting a beautiful sound from Harry’s throat.

“I’m going to fucking fight, Lou,” Harry whimpered, kissing Louis once more before rubbing his clothed cock against Louis’, Louis swallowing a delicious moan from Harry’s lips. He pulled his jacket off his shoulders, Louis helping him strip the article of clothing off and throwing it to join the other on the floor. 

“You want to fight for me, Harry?” Louis asked sweetly, carding his fingers through the short hair at the nape of Harry’s neck, yanking the boy’s head back and licking a thick stripe up his throat, nipping just below his jawbone.

“I want to fight,” Harry hissed, rolling his hips down against Louis’ cock. “Fuck, don’t stop,” he cried as Louis took hold of his hip and moved the boy to his own accord, his arms wrapped tightly around Louis’ shoulders.

“Fight for me, Harry,” Louis whispered, rolling his hips up into Harry’s ass. “Fight for me, and we can get you out of this place.” 

Louis felt Harry shiver against his hold, moving his hips so delicately but chasing his escape. It dawned on Louis that that was the first time since they’d been separated those years before that he had Harry in his arms, in his hands, against his skin. It wasn’t right. Louis knew that, he knew he had to stop, he knew he couldn’t do that, in that room with Liam just outside. If anyone were to walk in, the entire case would be nullified. “Harry,” Louis said slowly, running his hands up the boy’s back. “Harry, we need to stop,” he repeated.

“But – “

“Look,” he stopped, pulling the boy by his hair away from his neck. Harry’s eyes are blown, lips parted and breathing heavily. He looked wrecked, so fucking wrecked. “As soon as I get you out of here, I’m going to finish what I’ve started, and you and I are going to make up for all this lost time, alright?”

Harry whined, dropping his head to Louis’ shoulder and wrapping his arms around the lawyer’s neck. “I’m sorry,” he whimpered.

Louis shushed him and wound his arms around Harry’s waist, holding him close. “Don’t you dare apologize to me, my darling. You’re safe, I’m always going to keep you safe.” Harry nodded against Louis’ shirt and sighed.

“You’re making me walk back out there with a semi,” Harry deadpanned.

It took five seconds before both boys cackled and laughed loudly, Harry burying his head in Louis’ chest and giggling lightly.

Fuck, it’d been so long since Louis had heard Harry’s little giggle. He missed it. He missed the way the boy’s eyes got crinkly at the edges and his dimples would pop out. Louis missed everything with his boy.

Louis took one hand and pulled Harry’s head up, cupping the boy’s cheek in his palm. Harry quieted, but beamed at Louis, nuzzling into his skin. “I missed you,” Harry admitted, pressing a soft kiss against Louis’ hand.

“I missed you too, my little dove,” Louis replied. Harry smiled and dropped his head. “Hey,” he said tipping the boy’s head back up. “You mean everything to me.”

Harry leaned forward and kissed Louis soundly, cupping both sides of his face with his hands, breathing in through his nose. Louis hummed and smiled into the kiss.

“How am I supposed to face the courtroom like this?” Harry snickered when he pulled away, motioning at his still tented dress slacks.

Louis barked a laugh and shrugs. “Come on, let’s get you dressed, and we can sort you out.”

“Wait, what will Liam say?” Harry asked, panicking slightly.

“Liam won’t say anything,” he replied, wincing as a swift knock came through the door. “Speak of the devil.”

“You’re not going to let me go back, are you?” Harry asked, his voice small and shot to hell. Louis shook his head and took Harry’s face between his hands, kissing the boy quiet.

“I’m going to get you out of here if it kills me, love.”

“I missed you, Lou,” Harry whined. 

Louis climbing up off the carpet and helped Harry up before he retrieved their suit jackets. He handed Harry’s over and watched as the boy slipped it back over his shoulders. Once they were both dressed, Louis pulled him in once more for a kiss. After the both were back to looking decent, Louis smiled and wrapped his arms around Harry’s neck in a hug. “I missed you so, so much, Hazza.”

Harry turned his head into Louis’ neck and inhaled deeply, memorizing his scent. “I never stopped,” he whispered so quietly, Louis almost missed it.

Louis knew exactly what he was talking about. It didn’t matter how many years had passed, it didn’t matter how many lifetimes they would live. Louis would know love, and he would always know love for Harry.

“I never stopped either,” Louis finally replied, another quick knock sounding in the room. “After I get you out of here – “

“I don’t want anything other than you. I don’t want money, friends, a home. I just want you, Louis,” Harry interrupted. Louis nodded against Harry’s frame and pulled away, kissing him once more before distancing himself. “I still – “

Louis put a hand up to Harry to stop him from talking. He smiled and took Harry’s hand in his. “Tell me when you’re a free man. Tell me when I can kiss you in public and make my students sick just by talking about you.”

Harry nodded and leaned in for a kiss, Louis happily granting it to him. About that time, Liam swung open the door and shut it behind him quickly. “You’ve got about a minute before the guards come get Harry, boss. Judge said we were done for today,” he said quickly. “Zayn tried to give you more time, but only stalled the bastard long enough to piss him off.”

Louis nodded and buttoned Harry’s jacket, fixing his collar and smoothing out the wrinkles. “We were just finishing up. Tell Niall and Zayn to get the students out of here. You leave with me,” he demanded, pointing a stern finger at Liam.

“I’ll watch the door until they come fetch him,” Liam nodded and escaped again, leaving the two alone.

Louis turned back to Harry, reaching a hand up to his face and caressing his skin. “I’ll be back here in the morning to debrief. Just a bit longer in this place and I’ll be able to take you home,” he promised and kissed Harry one last time.

Harry gave him a watery smile, his bottom lip quivering. Louis shook his head and shushed him quiet. “I’ve wanted this for so long,” Harry croaked, touching the pads of his fingers to Louis’ lips.

“Make it tonight and we can have you out in a week, alright?” Louis said. Harry nodded weakly. “Tomorrow is a new day and I refuse to let that stupid fucking prosecutor near that courtroom if he’s going to treat you like that. I’ll make sure he never asks anything about William and James.”

“Thank you for – well, thank you for being you,” Harry said. Louis leaned in and kissed his forehead, pulling back and taking his hands away as two guards opened the door to the room.

Louis watched as they took each of Harry’s arms and began escorting him out. “Harry, be ready for tomorrow,” he said before they could take him away. Harry stopped in his tracks and looked at Louis with a wild look in his eye.

“Find Jane Therma and do it tonight. Please, Louis, promise me you’ll find her,” Harry said quickly despite the guards trying to force him out of the room.

Louis nodded and said, “I promise,” as Harry was escorted away. Liam walked into the room a moment later with a frown. Louis took a deep breath in and exhaled heavily, grabbing a pen and paper from one of the desks. After writing down the name, he gave it to Liam. “Send this name to Zayn and Niall, get the kids working on it. I need to know who this person is tonight. It’s important.” Liam nodded and took the paper, pulling out his phone and making the call to the other boys.

After another deep breath in, Louis composed himself and exited the room, knowing he was going to get Harry Styles off death row if it fucking killed him.

Louis was the best lawyer in Texas, maybe in the southern states. And god dammit, if he wanted to win a case, he was going to win that fucking case.

~

** _Two Years Later _ **

Louis climbed out of his truck after cutting the engine. With a bright smile, he grabbed his bag out of the backseat and began the trek into the building. He saw a few students idling around in front and flashed them a grin.

“Good morning, Mr. Tomlinson,” one of them greeted.

Louis saluted them happily. “And a lovely morning to you too, Ms. Lucas. How are we feeling today? Ready for the exam?” he asked as he walked.

“I’ve been ready since last week,” Ms. Lucas replied, grinning.

Louis nodded and carried on inside, where he was met with faculty members greeting him, and ex students saying their hellos.

It’d been an interesting two years to say the least.

Once Louis got the address of Jane Therma, he was able to pay her a little visit. Apparently, she was William’s girlfriend before he was killed. At the time of their murders, William only told her what she needed to know regarding the little gang war he’d been involved in. Unfortunately for her, one of her cousins was in the gang of the rival dealer’s. The night William and James were murdered, she received text messages from her cousin regarding the brawl and the kidnapping of Louis and Harry. Thankfully, she kept the receipts of all the messages, emails, and bank statements. (The cousin was the one to make the purchases and ended up buying a few things for himself.)

All in all, once she got on the stand and identified the actual murderers, and provided proof of her cousin’s acts, the judge ruled it a retrial. Harry was set free for the first time in eight years, and six months later, it was set in stone that he was a free man, on paper and in the media.

With Harry’s parents both still around, they decided to bring him home for the first two months. But after he was declared an innocent man, Louis demanded the boy move in with him.

He was in love, what could he do?

Niall, Zayn, and Liam all took to Harry like moths to a flame. Louis found Harry with Zayn most afternoons during the semester when they weren’t working on a case. The two would be sitting in the alcove in the living room with books cradled between them reciting lines back and forth to each other. The group only knew the Harry that was on death row. So, after meeting the side of Harry that Louis fell in love with, they accepted him into their little family with open arms.

Speaking of the team; Louis finally decided to sit down with everyone and tell them the entire story from the beginning to end. Harry offered to be there with him when he explained it all, but Louis declined and decided to go it alone.

At first, he wasn’t sure if they’d still want to work for him if the silence was anything to go by. But alas, Niall was up out of his chair the moment he dried up his tears and tackled Louis over on the couch, wrapping his arms and legs around the man while Louis laughed wildly. Zayn and Liam joined next, all wrapping Louis in their love and support.

The fact that Harry was acquitted was incredible. But it still stood that he had nothing left of his life before he went to prison. With Louis’ connections, however, he was able to pull some strings to get Harry accepted into a night school to get his degree in journalism. There was still a long way to go with graduating, but when he wasn’t helping Louis with case work, he was at home or in Louis’ classroom doing his homework.

As Louis slipped through a group of his students to get into his classroom. When he finally made it through the door, the first thing he noticed was the lack of students. The second thing he noticed was the very handsome looking man sitting on top of Louis’ desk with a slight smirk playing on his lips.

“What have you done to my classroom, you gremlin?” Louis snuffled, dropping his bag on the ground and making his way over to Harry. He leaned forward and captured the boy’s lips, humming when he tasted the slight cherry flavor. Pulling away, he smiled happily.

“I wanted to surprise you, silly,” Harry explained, giggling and wrapping his arms around Louis’ neck. “Can I not steal your classroom to make you smile?”

Louis snorts and kisses the tip of Harry’s nose, the younger boy scrunching his nose under the attention. “Not that I don’t love seeing you, because I do. But why today?” Louis wondered.

Harry sighed with a smile and wound his legs behind Louis’ knees, pulling him just a bit closer. “Today’s the anniversary of the day you got me acquitted completely. Charges gone, record clean, even the little blip about going to the mental institution erased,” he explained. Louis smiled and nodded along, shifting Harry on the table just a smidge closer so his chest was touching Louis’. “I talked to Liam and had him switch your class days so I could have you for the day today.”

“And what do you plan on doing with me, all alone, in this big classroom?” Louis asked cheekily.

Harry grinned deviously and pushed Louis back slightly, just enough to lean back and pull his shirt over his head, revealing the toned muscle of his torso covered in their most recent purchase, a black leather harness.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Louis exhaled. His eyes ran over the boy’s body, memorizing every piece of him like he hadn’t already. His eyes snapped back up to Harry to watch him pull something out of a desk drawer. “Harry Edward Styles, you little fucking minx.”

Harry fastened the light blue collar around his neck. Louis felt all the breath leave his chest.

“Well?” Harry whined, moving back on the desk, laying back and spreading himself out. “I’ve always wanted you to fuck me on this desk.”

Louis loosened his tie and threw it across the room with his jacket. With a playful growl, he hopped up on the table and crawled between the boy’s legs, kissing Harry hungrily before moving to the side of his neck. “I guess I need to take care of my boy then,” he said before licking a stripe up the column of Harry’s throat.

“I fucking love you,” Harry laughed loudly, moaning out loud when Louis bit down on the juncture between his shoulder and neck.

Louis snorted against Harry’s skin, pulling back to look him in the eye. With one arm holding himself up by Harry’s head, the other holding Harry’s neck just softly, he leaned down to kiss him happily. “I love you too, my blue starry sky.”

Harry smiled and brought both of his hands to cup Louis’ face between his palms. “My orange and purple sunset.”

** _THE END _ **

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading sugar plums!


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